| American Negros in the Great War (Leslie's Weekly, 1920) A First World War article listing many of the patriotic commitments that the African-American community devoted to the 1917 -1918 war efforts:
"The war has transformed the American Negro into the Negro American. Because he has been doing big things for his country his sense of national unity grown; his citizenship became a living reality." "They have contributed 300,000 of their young men to the American Army. Of these 1,000 are commissioned officers of the line...One entire regiment was decorated for bravery and several individual soldiers have been cited for deeds of great valor." Soldier Man Blues (Literary Digest, 1927)This article is essentially a collection of lyrics from an assortment of songs sung by the Black Doughboys who were charged with the task of loading and unloading trucks far behind the front line trenches. It was written in 1927 to serve as a review for Singing Soldiers by John J. Niles, who compiled the labor songs while stationed in France as a fighter pilot: "All dese colored soldiers comin' over to France All dese soldiers an' me Goin' to help de Whites make de Kaiser dance All dese soldiers an' me..."
To learn how many African_Americans served in the W.W. I American Army, click here.
••Watch a Quick Documentary About the African-Americans Who Fought in the First World War•• | 
