| Author | Message | ||
     K O'Connor Unregistered guest Rating: N/A |
The New-York Historical Society in collaboration with The Graduate Center, The City University of New York The Bernard and Irene Schwartz Distinguished Speakers Series Fighting for America: Black Soldiers – The Unsung Heroes of World War II Christopher Paul Moore The New-York Historical Society April 6, 2005 6:30 p.m. For many Americans, the rich history of African American military service and patriotism is incomplete or unknown. But long before America’s naval cannons roared or its combat divisions hit the beaches, black American soldiers were serving as unheralded non-combat labor battalions. Black soldiers constructed highways and airfields, cleared swamps and shores for naval bases, drove trucks delivering war supplies and transported food, fuel and ammunition. Christopher Moore looks at African American military service during World War II, and also at the paradox of this patriotism in what was still a racist society. His book introduces readers to many unheralded heroes who helped America win the war, including Robert Brooks, the first American to die in armored battle and Lt. Jackie Robinson, the future baseball legend, who faced court-martial for refusing to sit in the back of a military bus. From the black soldiers who landed at Normandy Beach on D-Day and the legendary Tuskegee Airmen who won 95 Distinguished Flying Crosses, to the members of the 761st Tank Battalion who helped liberate Nazi death camps, Moore captures the invaluable effort of black Americans to defend democracy. Christopher Paul Moore is curator and research historian for the New York Public Library’s renowned Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. He is co-author of The Black New Yorkers: 400 Years of African American History, and Standing in the Need of Prayer: A Celebration of Black Prayer. He wrote and produced the History Channel’s award-winning television special The African American Burial Ground: An American Discovery. For reservations call or e-mail the CUNY Graduate Center: 212-817-8215 continuinged@gc.cuny.edu General Admission: $10.00 N-YHS members, Seniors, Educators, Students: $5.00 New-York Historical Society 170 Central Park West at 77th Street New York NY 10024 (212) 873-3400 www.nyhistory.org |
