Good evening. Good evening. First of all, thank you for coming out in this rainy evening, i know its a bit of a challenge, but it will be well was your time to be here for the discussion, its my pleasure to welcome you to the tonights program, in tide, historically speaking, will return fighting, and the shipping of modern black identity, public by, its a collection of us is, men and women, who serve the country on the battlefield, as well as on the home front. Their struggles for civil rights one of the main things we will learn this evening is that while the civil rights movement, was that it did, was decades away, the world long ones established an important question of citizenship, that pave the way for future progress, we are fortunately joined tonight, by the museums Deputy Director, and editor of who we return fighting, including an addition to the outstanding scholarship, the images are very powerful. Of americans, at war, on the home front, and also gives us a different look at the life of African Americans face, when they came back home after the war, so let me and by welcoming you, and by ensuring you that you are in for a wonderful evening, thank you for joining us, i am sure you will have a great evening. applause ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the Deputy Director of the National Museum of African American history and culture, kinshasha holman. And thank you spencer for the warm welcome and the wonderful introduction for this book. I hope you will purchase it. And when you do. Do read the acknowledgments. If i had time i would mention names like carolyn grayson, christina weeding 10, rex ellis and others. But i do not have time laura coyle and doug grimley. Carlos vista montaigne, minda logan and many others. If you look in the back, the names are all there. One of the people i would like to quote from is a young man who surely had and has a promising future. Many of you have heard his name. Lonnie bunch the third. We were pleased that our founding director was able to and willing to write the introduction and epilogue to this book. Which is the work of many hands. And i would like to quote from his epilogue to frame a little bit about what you are going to hear tonight from these amazing gentlemen, Krewasky Salter and greg carr. He says no sigel volume can fully capture the African American experience and one where one or tell us what the war meant for black americans in the decades afterward, whether the echoes were heard in president Harry S Trumans desegregation order. The landmark brown v. Board of education segregation decision of 1954 and the long battles of the 1960s to gain for black citizens the democracy for which all those young men had died so long ago. Although the war did not swing open the doors of enfranchisement for africanamericans, it could be said that its sheer scale, the slap across the world face of the first truly global war did open for us, a new sense of our own potential and possibility. And thus set into motion and incremental Movement Toward freedom. The burdens on the backs of black americans, military or civilian, remain heavy. But our forebears sacrificed in world war i and all the wars that have followed have not been forgotten. And they remain incontrovertible proof of our entitlement to full rights as citizens of our own country. The great w eb to boys who was one of the major intellectuals, framed web dubois, one of the major intellectuals who frame the issues run one where one. Stated in his article for the crisis magazine, the complexities of world war i. And he wrote, we return. We returned from fighting. We return fighting. Make way for democracy. We saved it in france and by the great jehovah, we will save it in the United States of america. Or know the reason why the two gentlemen or know the reason why. The two gentlemen you here tonight talking about this book and the title of an exhibition almost same title that will debut in december, will help us unpack those complexities and that sentiment. Tonight, you will hear from dr. Krewasky salter, our guest curator for the exhibition. And a major contributor to this publication. He is also the executive director of the First Division museum. Dr. Greg carr, associate professor of African Studies and the chair of the department of afroamerican studies at howard university. An adjunct faculty at the Howard School of law. As they discuss the vital role of africanamericans in world war i. Africanamericans who hoped to live out postcivil war expectations of full citizenship upon returning home. This book reveals the many ways world war i shaped the identity of black people and lent fuel to their longstanding efforts to demand full Citizenship Rights and to claim their place in this countrys cultural and political landscape. Had we many more hours, i could give you the amazing credentials of these brilliant men. But let me suffice to say, they are not only holders of phds and their respective subjects, but they have spoken widely and traveled widely on the subject. Dr. Salter is a retired u. S. Army colonel. He also curated our exhibition on military history and our inaugural exhibitions here in the museum. Double victory, the africanamerican military experience. His publications also include, the story of black military officers, 18611948. Dr. Carr has numerous credentials to his name. In addition to his work at howard university, he is also deeply involved in the development of curriculum, particularly with the city of philadelphia. He is also work around the world he has also worked around the world in places including ghana, egypt, el salvador, bahia. His publications have appeared in the African American studies reader, publications of the modern leg which association of america and moderate Language Association of america and the National Urban league, 212 state of black america and welcome x, a historical reader. In addition to those of you we have with us in the upper wintry theater tonight, there are others watching in the Oprah Winfrey theater tonight, there others watching on you streaming. There others and we ask that you consider on social media a nations story. Theres one other person i would like to recognize, juliet lasalle who was the cultural attache to the French Embassy and one of our main connections to our colleagues in france. Where and not for them and then centennial that was headed by joseph samet, we would not have the wonderful objects you will see in the activation that opens in there is one more thing i want to say. This program is made possible through the support of this Arena Foundation and this exhibition which opens in december is generously supported by altria group. Zamet nationwide, and the Robert Mccormick foundation. It is created, the exhibition in partnership with the french hundredth anniversary of the First World War organization. Please join me in welcoming dr. Krewasky salter and dr. Greg carr. [applause] how is everybody doing . The first order of business, is just a welcome. We heard from our Deputy Director and our director and all the folks here at the museum. It is an honor to be here again. And colonel is that a particular honor to sit here with you, realizing that you have been deeply involved with this museum since before it was opened. You have curated and this is the third exhibit. That i curated . In terms of the exhibits that rotated through the halls. This is the third that rotates through the temper exhibit space. First of all this is incredibly conceived book. If you have already bought it, great. If not, do not leave here without it. Though much information in such a tightly packed place, but not overburdened. The language is clean. Everything in here. Lets start with that. Thank you, somebody. Good. [laughter] this text, we return fighting. How did you conceive this book . How did you put it together . We were talking about the story and plays poker very well, so i was talking to her and she was taking everything in and he would ask me questions, leave the office, and i would have meetings with my then boss and then he said, i dont understand what youre saying when you meet with her, but she likes what youre saying. Then i realized that she my play poker but now i know shes listening, so the next time i met with kinshasha not only can we do an exhibition but i think we can do a, book so the book was actually born when i would have my oneonone meetings with kinshasha, from that point on not only were we executing an exhibition we started developing it, the construct of the book. In the moment well talk about why world war i but in this book one of the brilliant things about it is youre taking some things we know that we are aware of, but youre reading it differently. How did you curate the authors and then parse out the work and then go through the editorial process to get this kind of distinct way of, not only talking about africanamericans but talking about World History through the lens of world war i. Exactly. What we did, we already had scholarly advisors to the exhibition. It was very easy, we selected all of the scholarly advisors who were working on the exhibition. What the scholarly advisors are is, those are the people that bring the curators down to earth. You pick big brain people and you send your script to them. And they help to make sure you get your ex to rotations right that your interpretations right. One thing we had to do with the exhibition was make sure we did not want to drop our readers nor our visitors into the black experience in world war i, without them understanding what world war i really was. So we have a part called the global war. The first chapter is written by j winters, a Professor Emeritus of yale university, who now lives in france. His chapter is the first chapter. It helps us understand why world war i . He goes in detail in a few pages on how world war i became a global war, in a patient half. Then he talks about stalemate in a page and a half. Any talks about stalemate. That is the first chapter that sets the stage. It was my mission in chapter two to do two things. One was to have readers understandand we do this in the exhibition, that African Americans do not to step on the battlefield in world war i. They had been there from the beginning of the nation. My mission was to be sure we understood that. And also to be sure people understood what a dark world and america was for black americans. So when you read chapter two, you see the turning back of time, after the ending of slavery. The rise of jim crow is him. Extreme segregation. The 1883 Civil Rights Act which turns back the clock. 13 years later plessy versus ferguson. All along, you have people who are being lynched and killed. We have a quote in there from robert smalls, a world war ii veteran who says in 1895, that he estimates that time, over 53,000 africanamericans had been killed. We talk about mob violence. We talk about those, while at the same time, African Americans are serving in the military. So that was my mission. In chapter two. And also to talk about the service of africanamericans in world war i. Chapter three was written by another one of our rhodes scholars, dr. John morrow, who is the john hope frankel and professor of history and chair at the university of georgia. It was his mission to create a tight shot group im a soldier. So i shot group is you want to hit that target. A tight shot group between 1913 and 1919. So he went a little further in detail, in the service of africanamericans. Woody also brought to the table was he was an imperialist researcher and writer. This was the time during imperialism. He talks about when the europeans went to war, the rest of the world went to war because they had all these colonies. He goes into detail. That really is a linchpin for this later on. And then he talks about the further mob violence that is going on. He talks about east st. Louis. And houston in 1917. And the key to those two rights is that we had already entered the war and we were still having these types of incidents going on. So that was jay morrows piece. Then we had 10 profiles. Three of our other scholars, chad williams, Lisa Boudreau and curtis young, they write profiles. Then we picked up another scholar, brittany cooper. Powerful. And she writes of peace on charles and ida b wells. That is the construct. When you read the book, we also have a beautiful timeline. Bill pretzer and one of our Research Assistants, alicia norwood, you pour that out and it goes from 1863 to 1963 and it weaves in the social, cultural and economic and military service, all in the timeline. We have more than 140 captions of some of the artifacts and images. In our exhibition and Research Assistant fortrea hogan, she wrote half of that and i read the other half. I want to write about the ask about the exhibit and what is in the book. Before we get there, they exhibit opens next month . The 13th of december. By project manager is here too, carlas best monday. Carlos bustamante. Were going to talk for the while and then we will open it up. One of your heroes i think we talk about more is Charles Young. I think it was according to judge wilkins in his work it long word hard truth, it was a hundred years ago this december that young if the talk because the veterans have come back and they say they want a new graham memorial. Some war veterans come back, George Washington williams and them, we want a memorial. Maybe it is supposed to we want a memorial, but then we have it so are, good so than the world war one veterans come and say we want a memorial, and then Charles Young says, you know it would be nice of a building, it would be nice to have brass in monuments but perhaps the real monument would be to give the soldiers the things they went abroad to fight, for the rights, stop lynching people. I say that because i think about the thing that you put together, not only in your essay but as the spine of this book that essay its what you did, when you talk about this double, victory when you take it back in time but what you conceptualize, you know thinking about world war i and people of african descent, this concept of double victory and you know as a career military man, this a military scholar, a man who is helping us interpret the experiences of not only our people but generally how delicate is this balance between what this does to you, you say this in your essay and then more black people fought for the british tan, so world war i, so double victory the essence of this is when they fought for this nation, they were not only fighting to help their nation when they were helping to achieve democracy and equality for themselves and their families. So that is what double victory really means, so when you go back to the American Revolution and an estimated number of 6000 African Americans fight for the u. S. Forces but an estimated 20,000 fight for the british. When you take that thing forward up to the beginning of the american civil war, African Americans will always fighting for that side that offered them the best chance of freedom. That is what double victory, is when you bring that forward to world war i you know setting the stage with African Americans and theyve always been there the reason why world war one to me was so important, is because African Americans fought when president wilson said we must fight to make the world safe for democracy so when they went to fight the double victory they were fighting for was not just to help america win the war when they went overseas, they were hoping that hopefully when they got back the qualities of being a citizen, democracy, economic stability, educational uplift and a host of other things would come to them but within 24 months after a declaration of war was given on the six of april 1917 queen erected, and that is kind of what charles yang was stop talking about, these soldiers have said dont go to europe just to fight and help america, when they went to help their citizens when this happened in america, that didnt happen thats why this term called the new here now the phrase came about 25 years earlier but it was an intellectual and economic knew they knew the new one from 1990, that one was an aggressive one, he was the one that was emboldened after fighting on the battlefield and his family members and friends were also in folded to make sure that what we went to fight for to make the world safe will also make america safe, that is the quote from philip brand off, this was a metaphor, i would rather make georgia safe, when the president said i would rather make georgia say for the georgia was a metaphor for america. Im sorry hoover fresh out of law school and taking over military intelligence he said, rand of the most dangerous hes an open socialist. Thats interesting because hes in part, and maybe in terms of the title and also whats in the exhibit its not here and vice versa. I could get back to that what. I do want to ask you. The term findings from the boys. But rent off which i think they do brilliantly in this book, runoff is distinguishing himself on to bite, and as you narrowed here these conservative blacks because theres a lot out here tonight so elaine lock is created it with the new knee grow and. You hear him talking about that. That was all he was a professor of military sites. Yes indeed. How are just like atlanta. Everyone knows somebody who went howard. Absolutely. Randall is very critical not only of device but a lane luck. So these conservative folks. And the boys himself, this is not he writes relative to the war. Why do you put we return to fighting and make the deliver choice not to say world war one and the shaping of black participation in the war, but this broader concept. Im in, the boys is inaudible or something. The first one you are actually exactly right. So gillibrand often the wta boys, the voice was in his mid forties in the 1917 and philip ryan golf was 28 years old and to boys was lumped in with what he called the old crowd in the crow. So these youngsters, if you will, in that time, were labeling the those individuals the old crowd new pros, those who said close ranks and close fight and go fight, which is what was said in his article in 1980 cool, but the sentiment had already been there from the 15 and 16 and 17. As you know he was writing about the war when it started in 1914. You mentioned in the imperialism chapter. That was important. The article in the atlantic montreal . Yes. The boys did a trip to france starting in december 1918 for three months after the war and he was disturbed at what he found. Because he was an intellectual that monday convinced African Americans to close ranks and go to war. And he did a research and he found out about all the discrimination and some African Americans who had lost their lives on the battlefield and some who had lost their lives not on the battlefield. And so he came back and in may of 1919, thats when he wrote a juxtaposition of closed ranks. And he said we would be cools falls and cowards if we go and fight for our nation and then we come back to the same nation im paraphrasing here that we left. And so the reason we termed this, return this fighting, because the centennial of world war one is really over. This year is the centennial of the noon equal. And so thats why the exposition is entitled, we return fighting. And i think one of the questions you may have been asking is when you see the title, you dont see military. Its not the title the exhibition is not entitled the African American military experience in world war one, and the book is not entitled world war one and the military shaping of black identity. You dont see military in there for a reason. This exhibition just like double victory is not about the service necessarily of African Americans on the battlefield. And so why they served, and the reason they served, is because they were citizens of this country. And they wanted to make sure that they reaped all the benefits. So the exhibition is not late, its a long time. And we always intended for it in 1919 because this is the centennial afternoon eager. Indeed. Just one more housekeeping piece. When folks go through the exhibit, they are going to see some remarkable things. We were talking about backstage about sean young and so many other things. But in this book when we took pick up this book and you start meeting this book, whats in here thats not in the exhibit, and vice versa . An awful lot in both. So number one was in the exhibition is not in the book but the live artifacts that you can really see up close. So the book allows us to give more details to put meat on the bones why there was a world war i. Why the entire world went to war in a matter of six weeks. The book also allows us to give more detail than what is the difference between the 92nd and the 93rd division and what the 93rd division and the three 69th and not only the three 69th, the three 60 73 71st at the three seventh the 72nd was so important. So you have that in the book. In the exhibition, we also have a few additional vignettes but one thing i would like to say is the big difference between the exhibition and the book is they both have a shelf life. But the exhibition shelf life well end on 14 june. This book, if you buy it, it has a shelf life that will be on your library forever and so that is the big difference between the book and the exhibition. The exhibition will leave and we will mount another very important exhibition. I wont say what it is because i dont know if its for public consumption. But the book will be there forever. Yes sir. Okay, now. Now we are going to shift and talk about and believe me, every page in this book, every paragraph could fit into a whole career. For me its somebody who is an inveterate reader, i have been reading this and like, wow so there isnt a number of places we can go. I mean we certainly want to talk about the role of women and there are so many different once. We could stop at some of these heroic figures. Im thinking about 1915. You know in 1915 birth of nation comes out in 1915. Youve got woodward which will wilson who is curator the narrative there. That specific or who can help us work around to some of the other conversations. We are in d. C. Charles stone. Houston. Oh gosh. Lets talk about charlie houston. The people who killed jim crow as a lawyer. That was one of the highest ranking man. He was a lieutenant. So lets not safe from soldiers and sailors. For an african the level thats what im in, yes. He was a lieutenant. But it asked people all the time, do you know who charleston tee houston is and you know, what is he important for . And everyone who knows him, knows him as a lawyer. But few people know that he was one of those individuals who went to fort des moines, earned an officer ship and served as a lieutenant overseas and fought in france in the 368 into infantry regiment of the 92nd division. And it was that experience that he had in the military, when he saw the way he was treated and other African Americans were treated, that he decided that what his father always wanted him to be, his father which is his father was wanted him to be a no lawyer and was a lawyer himself and wanted him to be a lawyer. You have a picture of him. Ill talk about that in second. Thats where he got his foundation to be a lawyer his experience. So lets talk about, when you open the book, i collected those two for a reason. We have that picture. It was the story. We knew where his typewriter was. His typewriter is in the National Museum of African American history and culture. We wanted artifacts. And we wanted artifacts that resonated look into things but we wanted something that resonated perhaps military. We had the address of his son. Oh yeah my wife is in the audience, i have to be careful, but you know the. Story shows hamilton. Just passed away last. Youre in baltimore. He gave me that picture and that pistol. So i am telling the story. And i think rex knows about this. Wow i got in my car. And i drove up to baltimore to the address. And i know i had my smithsonian badge in my hand i knocked on the door, i got off the stairs didnt step back that i was like this. His wife came to the door and so to make a long story story short, i advance to i was, i work for the smithsonian, are you Charles Hampton houstons son . And daughterinlaw . Make a long story short, i visited with them twice, and you talk to people, and you make a connection. They had nothing to give, they dont know. The second is that after they called me they said, you know what . Charles has been keeping his fathers revolver from world war one. Oh man. I said youve got to be kidding me make a long story short, i go back there, i collected. The pistol, they pulled out that image, i had never seen that image before. You know who others individuals are. They had put it meticulously on the back. It was his father. He was in the odd fellows. And so they gave us for objects. And there are stories like that for just about all of the objects that are in the exhibition that we and that people donated to us. And they did not want to give that up because they did not want his father to be seen as a militant with a weapon, thats what they told me. They said because of this museum thats one thing that this museum is doing it is convincing people to give up artifacts that they have had four years, tucked away somewhere. So i remember getting that. Thats great, trust me. And erupted up, put it in my car, drove up, drove out of baltimore, got it to pinsky and its going to be in the exhibition and it now belongs to the National Museum of African American in history and culture. applause lets continue. You know what . Yeah, please. His granddaughter. Charleston hamilton houstons granddaughter are great to a granddaughter is a student at harvard law school. Thats. Right yeah. New question. We keeping it tight. We return to fighting. I have been with the family and talking to them and you still talk with us individually. So lets continue in that vein that. So houston who is clearly got a vision and i can say when you saw him in war, it in part due to keep going. There are differences between black people participating in this war. I remember reading about these catch that came from my no home is from national got beat by these guys. So were not taking this stuff. Its in the exhibition but yeah. He zeroing in on the differences between black folks could, you talk a little bit about the three 69th because youve got another is that in here about the three 69th. And what happened in South Carolina . And we got something about the sudden why do you want to hold mitchell order. These are not unique roads that are used to African Americans have an open monolithic. And they are not the same depending on what region of the country you are from. So when the three 69s our new york city boys but not all of them are new york city by this. The three 69th were recorded from all over the north and a few from the south. But where where they sent from to train . In South Carolina and so there was a clash the white southern status quo in South Carolina and then you have these northern African Americans coming down to train, they were supposed to be there for three, four, five months. They only state four and a half weeks. They had to get them out. No question. Because there was going to be a clutch. Because theyre like theyre right here. This was in september, october, the reason this was in september, october, john writes about this in the book and its in the exhibition september, october of 1917 is only three months after brownsville and after east st. Louis. So one of the things we always do is we have to put it into context. And so they did not want another brownsville where the 24th they actually showed up the town. Not like the 25th, what happened in brownsville with his that activation . Brownsville, there were two eyesores. There was one in 1906 with the 25th i get the mixed up sometimes where the accusations were not true and president roosevelt discharged 167 soldiers for something that was unfounded and it has never been approved. However, in houston, when a white Police Officer began to beat a black woman when he was looking a soldier, those brothers did go out and shoot up the town. Man. To make a long story short, after three quart margin marshals, 19 of them were sent to the gallows, and we will talk about them in the exhibition. But just so the folks know thats why they left South Carolina and thats one of the reasons they were the first African American unit in france because instead of sending them to retrain, they sent them to the deportation demarcation point and they arrived in france on new years day. Because the rest of the 93rd division, they were never together, did not arrive until april. Thats one of the main reasons why the three 69th was the first unit. I want to ask about women, but before we do at least, now the brothers are in, and its not just brothers because of course the ymca, but we have an entire section and women arent cycle throughout all. That then maybe we will and with the global scope. So talk about the, women you did a champ or on gold star mothers. Yes she is one of our scholars, shes a senior creator at tennessee, at st. Museum at st. Museum and history and she talks about this, so, a fork in american who will mothers who lost a son during world war one, white and black, they had this they went to france three of them in 30, 30, won 30, two or 30 1 33, you make a long story short they were also segregated and so there were discussions, our sons and husbands fought in a segregated military and we are going to visit their grave sites 12 years leaders in segregated pilgrimage. So lisa patrol right, sat but also cooper writes about ida b. Wells, in mary church charles. She talks with the juxtaposition of those just wasnt. And those individuals, so i know were wrapping it up, and i know that we have rand, off i know that there means were the same, better lives for African Americans, just like ida b wells, but they had different ways of going about, it ida b. Wells she was a fire breather she would punch them in the nose. Literally. And mary was a dignified agitator, she says that in her book and she just kind of believed in doing things in a dignified manner but there and game was the same, that is why we charge people for who they are not just African Americans we talk about, we always say African Americans and their white supporters so you may see stories of white americans and this exhibition that you see where friends of the progress of African Americans. So we are going to open it up, if folks want to start moving towards the microphones. We just scratch the surface, everyone is in here, it really is remarkable, its a remarkable moment, and folks moving to the microphone, when asked this final question, but we didnt touch on yet is the gullible scope of how African People around the world paying to know each other in this moment, when these women are going to do support they come from other. Places all keep this ruling quick, so yes a part of this being a global war is African Americans although they entered the war with white americans and made it to france in 1918, when the world went to war because this was a period of imperialism france had at least 17 colonies that went to war when they went to war, the british had colonies in the east, in the caribbean and all over the world, when they went to our guess who else went to war . Their colonial soldiers went to war, and germany had four colonies and when they had the war the four germans at that war so that is why you have people of african descent follow in world war one and they do meet each other. This was in the exhibit . Right it wasnt one of our artifacts from france all that africans from different places around the world but this one has a face just like me i dont even know these black people so you cant go to columbus georges after seeing your brothers no question about it. John. How you do in . John excuse me gentlemen before you go so were gonna do one thing, we are going to thank these gentlemen and then were gonna go into a cue and a. Ladies and gentlemen please think our speakers. applause and i want to encourage everyone to step up to the microphone, and people will let us know how to keep on time, so please john, greg wonderful session, id be pleased if you could talk about the challenge of creating this exhibit one because so much of this information is not in u. S. Archives because under row wilson those fighting are fighting under the french flag and therefore the whole process has been working with the French Military archives. Can you please share some of that with . Us so very quick, i guess a challenge was to present to a body of my colleagues the information, i had been studying it for a long time and so i started studying military history, so i had done interviews with individuals, i had heard stories from individuals and i knew about footage that existed. So i just think one of the challenges was just to make sure that my passion and what i knew was coming a cross to the effect that yes we can do an exhibition, i see my old boss sitting here in the front row and i tell you he was my biggest supporter at the beginning, making sure that okay if you know this information you know make sure we can package it in a fashion that we can head share with the public. So a lot of these documents are bearing the french archives, rex was with me on one of the trips, we went to a fresh archive and we had some of the people transiting information. So the information that comes out an African American history, threatening in this book where African Americans were challenged to suppress the fact that they served in world war one because soldiers were being attacked in so a lot of this history was just buried and not talked about but it existed and people had a like Charles Houstons family in a shoe box in the basement. I hope i answered your question and someone. Can i actually ask another question too because as a professor who deals with younger minds and as you approach the studies, where does scholarship like that across this contribute to this book fit in with what you are trying to convey and stir up in these young and intellects . Well i will say this, oh say this, very basic and we talk about this a little bit and we talked about it in a minute ago, i think museums are really the future of this work in a lot of ways, the universities doing what we can, all the platforms and this work allows access to people of all walks of life so when you come in and deal within artifact or narrative we can learn linger and particular here downstairs they would realize that his father is buried in as i get it part of a cemetery, and at the time this exhibit its almost more powerful to bring students into these buildings and sit and lingers through these exhibits and it is to sit in a classroom somewhere else and talk through it, there is more that you can do in 30 minutes, this is from finding out from somebody whos a fiend for louis armstrong, but armstrong the mastermind are he talks and emerges in this moment of a new world coming out of world war i, it will mean something more coming through this exhibit and seeing armstrong trump in and say lets have this conversation, so that is the future of how we begin to narrated think through clinically who we are in the world, so this is one of the most important places i can think of really in the world to have that conversation and education. So we will go now to the next question, or yes please. A couple of questions, persian and black troops, i dont understand why heres a man this john j person, heres a man who served black troops at spanish american war, but yet he was willing to transfer all the black combat troops to france so these units that were transferred a consolidated their colonial troops, and my third question and then it get out of here is that understand that case got, and president as mentioned his name, the american and his story graphical documentation how is that received because i know you is a very conservative guy regular to so ill take the first question about the 93rd division to set the record straight there were two black divisions world war one african america. This is 92nd in the 93rd the 93rd division is the division that went to the french, there was a complete regiment that stayed with the u. S. So not all of the black combat troops went there and john j did have a history thats where he got his name black jack, there are all kinds of stories of terms of endearment and slap in the face and all that and i read a book about this dichotomy i guess about five or six years ago that john j was poor from many different directions, there was a policy in the u. S. Are army that american soldiers were not fight under the french so why did we give an entire African Division to the french, well the political jaxa position, there was a social juxtaposition from a lot of the white officers that were serving in his unit that did not want African American soldiers to fight alongside white soldiers so when you say john j gave this division to the french he does bear responsibility because he was in command, that is the way voluntary officers are trained, he has the responsibility but he was being touch from the top, the, side the bottom in the french were clambering that you said you would put men on the battlefield, its not a clear answer on the is signing of the 93rd division and we are very clear the way we choose our words in the gallery upstairs and this gallery, we say that john j. Pershing made the ultimate decision, but there is an entire book about why he made that decision. So to get back to johns question there were a whole set of African Americans who wrote about their experience in world war one but the books never got published. I read most of those over the years being an African American historian i the end to combine them and thats in archives collecting dust because no one was reading it, what really catapulted people to start studying African American history in the military was glory, when glory came out. Thats a turning point, before glory there are only a few books, arms, that was one of them. So its always been there but people were not, if thats what you are looking for is now you are looking for, thats the turning point, that some people realized they did fight. We should mention. So yes, i was actually going to say, that was one of the great things about the work, they had brought it to us in his role as a guest curator, he is uncovering things that we did not, no kind of like the work you do and some things are hiding in plain sight, what im going to do is ask you to take the next two questioners in a row and then ask the questions be addressed so that we can make sure we have time for additional discussion and we have an additional treat because i think is more of a treat than this, we have an additional tree before we, leave something the young people tell me is called a sizzle well whatever that is, i thought we were going to sizzle i dont know what that meant, but yes maam. Hi im serena im a freshman at howard university. When talking about this idea of meaning making or values that the soldiers learned at this, time how did would you say, that had been passed down to this current generation or the modern black identity, what do you think are some examples of these values or how can we see the flash of the spirit and present day and not only the black community in the United States but kind of around the world. So yes sir, id like to take a course from you after a take one from doctor carmen, so well be meeting in one second gentleman at the mic, yes sir. My name is Robert Harrison from Cornell University and id like to say on emmet scotts book i also thought of emits god as being very conservative but he doesnt pull any punches in his study of black soldiers in world war one. Two questions, number one, i wish youd speak a little bit about the military directive that United States army circulated during world war one cautioning especially the french from fraternizing with African American soldiers. If you can comment a bit about that. Secondly, what do you mean by modern black identity you did speak a bit about the new needle movement but could you expand more about modern black identity. We have all five minutes we have a special cake for these do gentlemen, do you want to do meeting making or first of all stay informed and speak out because that is what philippe brand off did and w. E. B du bois did. Philip brand off was 28 years old when he stepped on the stage and challenge the sitting president , he was also the guy that plant the first march on washington as a lot of you know in 1940, did not have to do that march because he got what he wanted, if you look at the picture of 1963 april 28, who is sitting there . Philip brand off so what i will say two young individuals today, take some of those lessons and do it in your own way and make sure you are informed and you get your message out there, to go to this question about emmet scott and the secret documents, so very briefly we talked about the secret documents so there was a circulation that informed the french that we dont socialize in treat African Americans in america the way you are treating them here, so it was a long letter, im not gonna go into detail, thats the gist of it, so that letter was quickly rescinded, it did come out of headquarters, he was written by a french colonel who was directed to write it that is probably why w. E. B du bois approach to return fighting he uncovered that document during his three month tour and thats why it is printed in the crisis magazine in 1919 so very briefly. A little word from one of our local intellectuals and you know a little more to add to the brilliance of doctors alter and about that intellectual because youve read this wonderful book that this gentleman was so involved and tell us about that intellectual contact in that shaping of identity. Very specifically we can help out emmet scott he was in many ways washingtons hegemony hes out of the job into a and telling muellers at howard and of course you know but when he raises that, scott goes is to france and these intellectuals, scott goes to france in the soldiers are looking at and they dont know why he sent you hear the comments down. In other words these soldiers are not coming back. President went. And he told African American soldiers. Come down, go rock the boat, etc etc etc. And of course to be the voice comes back and he rocks the boat and he changes from closing wreck. The reason i mention this was as you say, the intellectuals of that period then and now, the best thinkers are the ones who are engaged thinkers. Surround off is not on the sidelines. And then ultimately in world war ii, when he does call of that maher and marie church terrell, thats not the reason we were committed to see. So they are having a three Day Conference at batter and these black women are like, wait a minute, we are not just coming to integrate the military jobs, we are coming to talk about what our rate needs. So guess what i am saying is in conclusion that these thinkers are not just writing, they are in the middle of the fight. And so we didnt even get to James Johnson and when they come back in 1919 as you say it is part of that. And we talk about the same man who work with the black National Anthem or what he was saying and despiser, these, one is a part of the other sound tint by dally. So theres a whole another venue of thinkers. Three new 1600. So the intellectual milieu is important. Dont think of intellectuals as arm chair people writing books on something. They are thinkers who are engaged, and thats the best way to be a sucker. One more question to about modern identity. Can i address that . Yes sir, please. What i mean by that is and when kinshasha red inaudible opening where he said something about four runners for the civil rights movement. I firmly believe that the world war ii generation who executed the civil rights movement, they were the determination of the seeds that were planted by the world war one generation. That new new grow, they stirred the pot and they planted those seats, and they said, hey, we fought for this country and we want our equality. That state, and the reason we put those individuals, Josephson Baker i believe was the only woman who spoke in 1963. A Philip Randall for was there in 1963. Charles edmonton houston and mary church terrell, they do not push away until till 1952, 53, 54. And those individuals played a critical part in world war one and they planted the seeds for modern identity, which set the stage for the modernday civil rights movement. Thats what we need. Not to mention those before. You talk about marcus carving here. The anti colonial movement. In many ways. But you start with the turks. We talk about panafricanism its, in the exhibition. Absolutely. We also would like you to as i say by this book, and read more about the great righting of our colleague, doctor salt are, and repeating the names he mentioned, these boots, britney cooper, john h. Murrow junior, Krewasky Salter himself, chad williams, gibraltar, and kurdish young. And as i said have very little time on the stage so i cannot give out a shout out to inaudible o. J. Linen but i have if i had time i would. Lets do one more very important thing. I see a beautiful one young woman in uniform there which reminds me of something that i was also reminded by and your colleague. I i i didnt ask about active duty and all of the members of the military who did active view doomed for this country to many stat. You can stand to colonel. You can stat. Thank you. applause thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Words they almost as a throwaway thank you for your service. But we really mean it. Thank you for your service. Well you stood up, so i cant deny you. I cant deny, human. Thank you you gentlemen have done an excellent job. inaudible yes. Okay, nice to meet you. What would you say are the key elements for us to galvanize the military inaudible because the military is always here inaudible what happens . To that. More things change the more they stay the same. For struggle we are still fighting. As a colonel in the United States army, minority officers whether male or female, they are inaudible yes. What existed during the serum Civil Rights Era when we were in committee and we are interlaced inaudible and the future and you my neighbor to the right now, we are moving as a community, we are forgetting where we came from, we are not reaching back. We are engaged in fratricide. And supposed to support each other, we are tearing inches either done. Jealousy. What would you say are the top three factors three. Three. I get to it later on. You know inaudible because im also the Vice President of communications for inaudible corporation which is a Membership Organization for African American officers. So you tell me inaudible so no pressure in other words. People that know we know im talking. In terms of how we know each other and we claim our legacy of helping each other and building each other up. Yes maam. Youve got three brother . Okay, i will address one related to the military because we dont have a lot of time. But i have served for 25 years i, know exactly what you are saying. So briefly, a couple of years ago i ran into an African American fellow officer and i mentioned to him that was inaudible in the pipeline. He said they are its fine, they are in the pipeline. I knew they were not in the pipeline because i was studying. So what we have to do is a community and this is a tough sell, this is a tough sell we have got to let our Young Brothers and sisters know that the military is a viable occupation. When i was at west point for three years, i was a recruiter. I recruited African Americans to come to west point to go into the military. Its a tough sell. But we have got to let our Young Brothers and sisters know that when you go into the military, you are not just going to fight for your country and be used and abused. The reason i have a masters and a ph. D. Is because i was in the military. I was a young lieutenant who was selected. I received a letter, they said, because you have your academic background and your military success you are