The Negro Soldier

"The Negro Soldier" is a film you wouldn't show in the 21st century. With our hyper-awareness of racism and its evils, folks today would immediately notice that the documentary paints a ridiculous image of 'we're all one big happy family' in regard to blacks in America during WWII. The truth is, they were second-class soldiers serving in a mostly segregated military. Blacks serving on naval vessels usually were assigned roles as glorified domestics--serving coffee and the like to the white sailors. And, even with the famed Tuskeegee Airmen and their wonderful service record, they were never integrated into white units. So, despite the image the film is trying to create, viewers today will quickly dismiss this as mere wartime propaganda...which it is.

Now I am not saying it's a badly made film. While the framework of a minister giving his sermon on Americanism and the war effort is patently ridiculous, as well as his congregation members joining in on the sermon...the effect is also rather sweet. An odd dichotomy, I know.

My advice is by all means watch the film. It does celebrate the many achievements of black soldiers...and it an interesting curio of the day...a flawed curio, of course.