Has written widely on the subject of sports and race and has participated and consulted on numerous documentary projects with independent filmmakers and large Television Networks and now deeply involved in efforts to correct and represent that which relates to the africanamerican experience and will fight his next book on the subject and has served on the Editorial Board of sports history and as the assistant editor of social issues. He has also taught at Princeton University and callings college in virginia [applause] welcome to our stage. Please make yourself comfortable. Before you begin we want to have time for the conversation then at that time i will introduce your conversation parker roger green. You have to listen to the women. [laughter] i should have given her the short version of the of resonates so we could have more time for the discussion but in any event i want to thank the institute dr. Patterson for coming up with the idea for this event and to for the support for the center for black literature headed by dr. Green and Clarence Reynolds who have been of great help to of may also of a bike to think roger green who has actually completed the Monumental Task of reading this book. [laughter] and lost a lot of sleep last night as a result. Let me move on to a brief introduction of harlems rattlers and the great war i would like to begin first by reading from something that William Pickens wrote he was a scholar in activist for the naacp in the early 1900s this is what he says about blacks and the first world war. We tend to overlook it it does in the event with the africanamerican experience. We talk about the civilrights movements and tie it to the board of education as if 1954 was the start or rows of parked as she reviewed to the first seat on the bus or even world war ii but we dont think of world war i as an important the bint in the history of africanamericans here is what pickens had to say about this. What the award made clear to all especially blacks is that character is more fundamental than reputation. That character is more fundamental what does that mean . It means that reputation is something imposed from the outside and character comes from within and one lesson of a bike for you to take away from this event is that black people need not worry so much about what other things others think gore say about them were due to them as what they feel about ourselves that is important. And i will say one thing that i have found as a result of writing this book. We are one and great people to have survived your thrived considering all that we have endured and continue to endure. I should also say i did that at the harvard club a and i left it there but we cannot do it alone. We always needed white friends Frederick Douglass needed white to friends and the Civil Rights Movement and today as general james who was a commander of of 369th regiment stand up. And with his lovely wife who is a stol port will you please stand . [applause] but general james knows how important of the success especially after the war and he is said charter member of the Veterans Association and his son who was the 13 term congressman was instrumental in the establishment or congressional approval of the of 369 Veterans Association but back to William Pickens. He said world war i showed clearly that blacks had become from a most undesirable element to the most reliable element in america as symbolized and recognized by calling out of the National Guard troops to protect the white house. The war had allowed blacks from africa and america the opportunity to make the first great record as of modern International Factor in a positive world influence and this was a lesson ever to be lost on blacks. World war i help to produce a self confident moody grow and all the change that came later to the floor worth looking people of the time. So that is my introduction to night to contextualized now like to briefly run through the images that in the book to wet your appetite is he will buy the book and i will sign it for you. I hope to increase the value for you laugh. [laughter] and sherry important advances and figures in the regiment has attacks for discussion that Professor Green and i will have with a commemorated history presented by the officers of the of regiment of davis senior who was the first black commander and you can see the first of the regiment never lost a man to capture never gave up a foot of ground that had been taken and also the symbol of the rattlesnake that is why the book is called harlems rattlers and the great war that is what the man called themselves. I believe harlems hellfighters is something the press would give them and the reason why its stock with its reputation that the most visible symbol after the board was the being and the bay and. The 369th was disbanded it was decommissioned it was not any more after a world war i the ban was the most visible representative they embraced the term harlems hellfighters and i have seen many ads album covers, etc. I, etc. So that says something. Bert williams was an early recruiter and close to william haven and then we have Charles Young who should have been the first but commander of the regiment in the first commander period and was out of active duty and restored to active duty after the war in and dyed it africa when he is about to beef for africa anodize 1923. Then we see a shot of the men of the National Guard which was the result original designation. You need to get the book to know he killed somebody in almost destroyed the regiment with his court martial. There we have the men in the trenches with their french helmets, a french equipment but american uniforms and we will see the of rifles and grenade launchers at the bottom have Henry Johnson and nina of robbers. By the way his application for the medal of honor has passed muster with the secretary of the army now on the secretary of defense desk, chuck hagel as well as the chief of staff or the army chief of staff to see if Henry Johnson will get a medal of honor. This is to people who have been misidentified. That is a photograph of him by james finn jersey. A rendering of the battle by Henry Johnson at the top then the ban and ec they have the brodie black lung back then helmet that could have happened before the french or after when they left the french service. These are out west point and they are in color. Very beautiful paintings by does perot. We have general james that was there and this was the great assault where the most obtain their glory. 170 blind individuals received it and the entire regiment did as well. 369th deadline get that monument intel 1997. In the mountains near the german border people dont know there was a can pay their that involved the 369th and below that there is a plaque honoring them for their service this is the area close to the rhine and they read the first to arrive and across. So we have a painting representing the 369 below that colonel hey word with a number of recipients and spencer that is difficult to see that it he has a metal pin on him is Hamilton Fish next to him and is who i believe the person most responsible for the regiments existence. We can talk about that later than widows and mothers of the deceased soldiers and William Butler who won the distinguished Service Cross from barbados. And then Henry Johnson upon his return, of the parade parade, at the party the people watching and the armory which was building into stages for the administration is building in 1930 there we have Benjamin Davis senior first commander as i have indicatedc chadnwnyu xio w ar was the Sergeant Major in the regiment of world war i and roger you can appreciate he was very involved with the state politics. Here we have one who wrote songs. I did not know he was of cholera but here is the famous rendering by Charles Rodgers with the battle of Henry Johnson. He titled it to first class americans when it was republished in the of black paper the defender and they said to real americans. They wanted to establish how firmly these people were americans so now to enter a discussion i hope i was not too long. Thank you very much. [applause] i personally know that there is so much to this story that i can tell you to be sure to review the book there is so much information in there. As we get ready for our conversation now would like to introduce to you Professor Green. Executive director of the dip voicecenter a Public Policy at Medgar Evers College f. Think tank dedicated to dedicate best practices that advance social and Economic Justice for urban communities within the United States and throughout the effort bin diaspore a. He was appointed as the distinguished lecturer within the university of a york in 2006. From 1981 through 2005 served as the elected member of the york state assembly. During his tenure he was widely acknowledged as an expert on educational reform as a longstanding advocate of civil and human rights to work within the of legislature there reflected his commitment to these principles. And in addition a professor of Public Administration and publisher of this sudden to reread based solutions journal. Well come. [applause]. This was a monument to of task and we had finals this week. Many of my students are cramming. I did last night. [laughter] but it was worthwhile. And starting with personal reflections of lot of time when you read a Historical Books of this nature it forces you to reflect on your own personal experience. So to think about my daughter whos served in the military during world war ii. I was an activist against the war. I knew he was not happy about the vietnamese war either. In his last days he called my brother and i to his bedside and said have you prepared . Make sure all my stuff is in order i have written everything out. I want to be buried in the military cemetery. I was shocked. And i want the flag over my casket. I paused i said are you sure . He said this is my country. Period. [applause] it hit me so with this book to a great extent to it stirred up some serious immersions. But i want to start the title is harlems rattlers and the great war the undaunted 369th regiment and the African American quest for equality and throughout the narrative it is clear you try to articulate the fact that securing African American and regiments or service was like breaking the class of an error overturned through jim crow laws through oppression and was documented chapter one page 24 you write to black americans have long known there is no better representative in the citizen soldier as a member of the militia could you articulate for us what you meant by that and how you attempted your successfully demonstrated that particular thought throughout your buck . War is the gendering experience. And for blacks to be denied to demonstrate their masculinity will regulate relegate them to secondclass citizenship. Blacks also saw a military participation as an avenue to freedom. We have black participation in the revolutionary war, people would name them selves jupiter liberty or freedom to show they would aspire to freedom if not already. Frederick douglass tells black man in new york state calling the colored men to arms that against them and freedom will lose half of the luster and this is an opportunity for blacks to prove themselves while establishing a National Guard unit in new york state was so important to all black new yorkers but especially black men. Bleeding into another point another chapter alan some states in illinois and chicago they already secured the African American regiment. And europe producing stare very hip the first with population and money and holland had not achieved the success. So i think it was one of the editorials that blasted the community and said the first is a big social organization. [laughter] then those societies that buried the dead. But no political power whatsoever. And tammany hall is a monster. It is controlled by irishamericans the republicans take black for granted and tammany cannot stand them they set up the united cover democracy britches of black of silvery of tammany hall but at the city wide level. As you know, as a former assembly man and i hope i can call you politician. [laughter] that has become such schaede dirty word but the action is the precinct at the warda level is where the spoils are in chicago blacks work that system to the men among disadvantaged. Did you hear what i said . And among disadvantaged. They were able to use the political clout in illinois with a black regiment first called the 16th battalion in 1878. More over that was officered by blacks from the top down and it became the eighth illinois in the 1890s and that became a source 74 black men yorkers who was the mitropoulos them lester says chicago not only has the regiments but we dont even have a black theater in new york. Right to. And my sense is you describe that the political process is in new york city was dysentery is that one of the reasons why they were not able to organize themselves . You also know the blacks were fighting among themselves. [laughter] and one of of major instigators of fiction was booker t. Washington. We think of him as a southern operator but he had operatives all over he was the tuskegee machine and also a large control of black newspapers and Charles Sanderson was his man in new york and kept a booker t. Washington apprised of everything going on and he was a stalwart republican and no matter what the democrats might try to do for the blacks in the regiment was one of those the republicans believe the democrats would get credit and would block it if not politically then the National Guard and leadership will block it in John Francis Obrien was connected tear tammany hall and extremely hot style to new the idea of a black National Guard regiments. He is the commander of the new york National Guard as a Major General and to become police generator and teeeight did not want to a black National Guard. Of those but it is even longer but it is about prestige and status and Employment Opportunities that they did not want blacks to have. That is the way that they saw things. So not only blocking the establishment of the regiment when it is finally approved he make sure it is of white commander as part of the deal and he believes there will be no black officers by the time it is federalized and goes to europe. That did not have been napoleon Harvard Law School graduate attended black 70 been to win the captive and established a provisional benjamin to essential to the establishment of the of recognize regiment. But he was a lieutenant in the machinegun battalion. Then banned george macy was an attendance as well. Condition those who try to secure the regiment, could you describe the role of the media or the black press in new york city . Him in chicago defender in it in new york city . The oval that they were advocating for depended because02l of especially some ways with black power and randolph mandolin representing a black power ideologies at that point in time, but the military was seen as demand operation if you were in the military you were part of the oppressor if you are not part of the solution your part of the problem. Search of a the military was seen as part of the problem. The boy is was ambivalent but then the came out with the encouragement of the blacks to support the war effort and he was criticized very much. And tried to regroup earlier in telling plaques to put the grievances aside during of war effort. Many people dont know dubois supported wilson for president. Eric city so republicans are taking blacks for granted. That you could not drive blacks out of the party with the sledgehammer despite the fact that especially with taft engaged with the lily whiteism removed a them all over the nation but especially the south. You paint the picture of the social forces way across the entire community and why this could be something they could galvanize around. The part of the book that is fascinating this gentleman with Equity Congress and how day secure the of a regiment even coming back from the of war in the attempt to preserve it and ensure that there are African American and offices. With the black commander. It is interesting that is supposed to be a nonpartisan operation but now a staunch republican and that causes Serious Problems within the Equity Congress because there were a number of democrats as well as frank we tin was one of them a and there was warfare within the Equity Congress to destroy the of movement by the of way. What is fascinating is they could organize with over 4,600 people. The fact that he could keep together a unit to that was established in 1911 of 1,000 men . Through 1916 despite all the obstacles thrown in their way. With th