Since the earliest days of the nation, US citizenship has been linked to
military service. Even though blacks fought and died in all American
wars, their own freedom was usually restricted or denied. In many ways,
World War II exposed this contradiction.
As demand for manpower grew during the war, government officials and
military leaders realized that the war could not be won without black
support. To generate African American enthusiasm, the federal government
turned to mass media. Several government films were produced and
distributed, movies that have remained largely unexamined by scholars.
Kathleen M. German delves into the dilemma of race and the federal
government's attempts to appeal to black patriotism and pride even while
postponing demands for equality and integration until victory was
achieved.
German's study intersects three disciplines: the history of the African
American experience in World War II, the theory of documentary film, and
the study of rhetoric. One of the main films of the war era, The Negro
Soldier, fractured the long tradition of degrading minstrel caricatures
by presenting a more dignified public image of African Americans. Along
with other government films, the narrative within The Negro Soldier
transformed the black volunteer into an able soldier. It included
African Americans in the national mythology by retelling American
history to recognize black participation. As German reveals, through
this new narrative with more dignified images, The Negro Soldier and
other films performed rhetorical work by advancing the agenda of black
citizenship.
