Black Military History

Military Times honors African Americans who served in the U.S. military and shares their untold stories.

Army posthumously promotes first Black colonel to one-star general

One of Young's descendants praised the Army for correcting the historical injustice.

6 months ago

These forgotten soldiers might have been the first Black troops to wear Union blue in combat

Advocates want the unit better recognized for its historic achievements.

18 months ago

Rangers Lead the Way!

Black Military History

Army’s 1st Black Ranger instructor remembered for fighting crime in Columbus, Georgia

Milton “Davey” Lockett Jr. was inducted into the Rangers’ Hall of Fame in 2001. After he died in 2018, the Columbus Police Department named its community room for him.

This undated photo provided by United States Coast Guard shows Emlen Tunnell, the first Black player inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Coast Guard honors Black veteran, NFL great Emlen Tunnell

Before he became the first Black player inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Emlen Tunnell served in the Coast Guard during and after World War II, where he was credited with saving the lives of two shipmates in separate incidents.

18 months ago

Maj. Gen. Charles Rogers

Maj. Gen. Charles C. Rogers: Talent through diversity, equity and inclusion

The success of officers from ROTC programs at Historical Black Colleges and Universities was based on the realization of the value diversity brings to the U.S. military, says the author of this commentary.

19 months ago

Harlem Hellfighter honored in graphic novel

"Medal of Honor: Henry Johnson" will feature the Army sergeant's heroic stand against a band of German soldiers.

2 years ago

Howard L. Baugh, son of Tuskegee Airman Lt. Col. Howard L. Baugh

Sons of Tuskegee Airmen share history lessons with students

Lt. Col. Howard Baugh’s sons, Howard and Richard, recounted their father’s story to a small group of Richmond Public Schools students and teachers on Feb. 25 at the Virginia War Memorial

2 years ago

Harlem Hellfighters

Black History Month a time to thank determination and service for African American veterans

Because of the bravery of these and other people of color before us, the 2 million African Americans who have returned from our more recent conflicts continue to build on a military foundation that is increasingly diverse and inclusive.

2 years ago

Seventy-five years later, the Netherlands honors the ‘Black Liberators’ who helped end the Nazi occupation

In 1944, Allied forces began liberating the Netherlands from Nazi occupation. Among these soldiers were black GIs whose role in the liberation had largely been overlooked in historical accounts. Now, the Black Liberators Project seeks to highlight the service and sacrifice of these soldiers, including the 172 buried in Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten.

2 years ago

Montford Point Marine, part of the Corps’ first integrated unit, dies at 92

Fair winds and following seas, Marine.

3 years ago

South Carolina town honors black WWII veteran 7 decades after brutal beating

A South Carolina town has honored the memory of a black WWII veteran whose 1946 beating at the hands of a white police chief left him permanently blind and helped spur President Harry Truman’s drive to integrate the U.S. military.

4 years ago

Commentary: Military legacy is rich with African-American contributions

Black History Month provides the opportunity for us to be curious, to look around, and to learn more about the contributions made by African-Americans to our country.

4 years ago

Tuskegee Airmen memorial shares Freeman Field Mutiny story that led to military desegregation

Creating the Tuskegee Airmen Memorial Plaza as his Eagle Scout project three years ago, Tim Molinari wanted to ensure there was a record of what happened at Freeman Army Airfield in Seymour.

4 years ago

Black soldier killed in WWI was denied Medal of Honor. Advocates are now trying to change that

The U.S. soldier was badly wounded, returned to battle and fought to the death. He was recommended for the nation's highest valor award, but the award was downgraded. Some say racism had a role in that.

4 years ago

Commentary: Mentorship built on a 'Rock'

How a leadership group grew from a handful of officers to a worldwide presence.

4 years ago

NC honors Coast Guard captain who was born a slave

The state Transportation Department has dedicated a bridge along the Outer Banks to a U.S. Coast Guard captain who went from being a slave to the first African-American to command a life-saving station.

4 years ago

Kentucky cultural center recognizes African Americans who served in the military

“Black History in the Barrens: Those Who Served in the Military” is an exhibit that is currently on display in the Christeen Snavely Art Gallery at the South Central Kentucky Cultural Center off Water Street.

4 years ago

What we can learn from the Tuskegee Airmen

It was a vastly different time when the Tuskegee Airmen fought.

4 years ago

How the ‘Buffalo Soldiers’ helped turn the tide in Italy during World War II

Soldiers with the 92nd Infantry Division served with distinction shortly after the military overturned a ban on black soldiers serving in combat.

4 years ago

Trump celebrates Black History Month at White House event

President Donald Trump marked African American History Month by pledging Tuesday to make real the vision of “every American patriot” who fought and sacrificed for freedom.

4 years ago

Charles Young: The Army’s first black colonel

The officer's Army career began with solitude and discrimination at West Point.

4 years ago

Black Union soldiers fought a costly battle for equal pay

The strategy of paying black troops less than their white counterparts pleased no one.

4 years ago

This ex-slave pretended to be a man and served in the Army

Cathay Williams was the only documented female buffalo soldier. From 1866 to 1868, an uneducated, illiterate former slave managed to deceive her fellow soldiers, officers and post medical personnel.

5 years ago

‘General Tubman’: Female abolitionist was also a secret military weapon

Harriet Tubman helped plan a South Carolina river raid that freed hundreds of slaves.

5 years ago

Interview: First black Army secretary on desegregation, the draft, and discrimination

Clifford Alexander Jr. was nominated by President Carter to lead the Army as it shaped itself into a post-Vietnam, all-volunteer force.

5 years ago

William H. Carney: The first black soldier to earn the Medal of Honor

From slave to sergeant, a Civil War hero's story.

5 years ago

Here's one of the people to thank for your GPS

Gladys West was putting together a short bio about herself for a sorority function that recognized senior members of the group. She noted her 42-year career at the Navy base at Dahlgren and devoted one short-and-sweet line to the fact she was part of the team that developed the Global Positioning System in the 1950s and 1960s.

5 years ago

Frederick Douglass’ unannounced visit to Lincoln’s White House ... and the friendship it created

Frederick Douglass didn’t agree with everything President Abraham Lincoln said when they first met, but he left with a new fondness for Lincoln after they spoke about justice and equality for black soldiers.

5 years ago