With the
African-Americans Stevedores in France

This W.W. I article was written by David Le Roy Ferguson, an African-American pastor assigned to minister to a flock of black Doughboys posted to the supply depot at St. Nazaire, France. These men were stevedores who were ordered to perform the thankless task of off-loading cargo from the various supply ships arriving daily to support the A.E.F.. Aside from working as cooks or in other service positions, this was a customary assignment given to the African-Americans during the war; only a small percentage were posted to the 92nd and 93rd combat divisions.

Pastor Ferguson’s magazine article salutes the necessary labor of these men while at the same time adhering to the usual descriptions of the African-American as cheerful, musical and rather dim.

Read about racism in the U.S. Army of W.W. I

Click here to read about the African-American efforts during the First World War.

Click here to read a history of African-Americans between the years 1619 through 1939.