February is Black History Month, and a perfect opportunity to spotlight black excellence – great inventors, leaders, social reformers, entertainers, and freedom fighters. Often, we view this last group through the lens of social activism – people who sought equality under the law. But African Americans have been safeguarding physical freedom as long as this country has existed, from the opening shots of the American Revolution, and the vigilance of black soldiers should not be forgotten.
During demonstrations against the British in Massachusetts in 1770, sailor Crispus Attucks, an unarmed protestor, became the first American martyr when he was shot down by British troops. Four other Americans died in the shooting, which touched off the Revolutionary War. His body lay in state in Faneuil Hall for three days before he was buried with the other victims. Between five and nine thousand African Americans fought for the American cause in the Revolutionary War.
By the time of the Civil War, African Americans became officers as well as enlisted soldiers. Almost a tenth of the Union’s army was black, close to 180,000 soldiers who served with the infantry, cavalry, and artillery; as well as more than seven thousand officers. Among these was Major Alexander Augusta, a skilled surgeon. He rose to become a hospital administrator during the war, and had white assistant surgeons under his command. After the war, he became the first African American to become faculty at a U.S. medical college.
As the scope of the military grew, so did African American service. In 1945, Captain Frederick Branch, a physics teacher, became the first black officer in the United States Marine Corps. In addition to service in World War II, he also trained others for the Korean War before returning to civilian life; and is buried in Quantico National Cemetery. Ensign Jesse Brown became first African American Navy pilot to serve in combat, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Purple Heart in Korea. As a child, his father had taken him to an air show, sparking his lifelong love for the sky. A Knox-class frigate was named in his honor.
By World War II, black Americans began to attain high ranks. Brigadier General Benjamin Oliver Davis Sr. was a career soldier who served in the Philippine-American War and World War I, before becoming the army’s first African American general officer in World War II. After the war, he worked with the American Battle Monuments Commission, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. His son followed him in military distinction, becoming the first black general in the Air Force. General Daniel “Chappie” James Jr. graduated from the Tuskegee Institute, becoming a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force who flew combat missions in Korea and Vietnam. In 1975, he became the first African American to attain the rank of four-star general in the United States Armed Forces. Following wartime service, he became the commander in chief of NORAD. After his retirement, he became a public speaker, and was invited to the White House by Presidents Johnson and Carter.
The first black woman to become a general officer was Brigadier General Marcelite Harris of the Air Force. Joining the USAF during the Vietnam War, she earned numerous medals including the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star before being promoted to major general. She also served as an aide in the Carter administration.
She was not the last officer to serve the President, and several have served in the Cabinet. General Colin Powell, a four-star general who was also Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, became the first African American Secretary of State in 2001. He had fought in Vietnam and the Persian Gulf War. Despite his highly decorated service, he maintained a sense of humor about his position, keeping a sarcastic quote from Abraham Lincoln – “I can make a brigadier general in five minutes – but it’s not so easy to replace one hundred ten horses” – on his desk. General Charles Q. Brown, starting in 1984 as a fighter pilot who logged 3000 hours of flight experience – 130 of those in combat – rose to become a general and Chief of Staff of the Air Force, before becoming the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2023. It is a position he still serves in today. As the highest-ranking officer in the U.S. Armed Forces, he is the principal military advisor to the President and the Secretary of Defense. Until earlier this year, that was General Lloyd Austin, marking the first time African Americans have served in both positions. Austin served in Iraq and Afghanistan, rising from a one- to a four-star general during that time. He personally led the force that secured Baghdad. His many awards for valor include the Silver Star. In addition to defeating enemies in the field, he has also battled and defeated cancer.
African Americans have proudly secured freedom for the United States throughout its history, earning their country’s gratitude. But this list barely scratches the surface of African American achievement. The library offers many tools to study black military contributions, from databases like ProQuest Military and Brothers in Arms: The Gladstone Afro-American Military Collection to books like African-Americans in Defense of the Nation: A Bibliography by James T. Controvich, Blue and Gold and Black: Racial Integration of the U. S. Naval Academy by Robert John Schneller, A History of the Negro Troops in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865 by George Washington Williams, The Black Officer Corps: A History of Black Military Advancement from Integration Through Vietnam by Isaac Hampton II, The Marines of Montford Point: America’s First Black Marines by Melton A. McLaurin, Let Us Fight As Free Men: Black Soldiers and Civil Rights by Christine Knauer, and Freedom Flyers: The Tuskegee Airmen of World War II by J. Todd Moye.
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