State Historical Society of Iowa

"Loyalty of the American Negro" 1917

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Courtesy of Records of Rights, "Loyalty of the American Negro" 1917

Description

The NAACP wrote this memorandum to contradict rumors of German agents agitating African American society. The authors—probably W.E.B. Du Bois and James Weldon Johnson—enumerate the ample reasons for unrest and dissatisfaction among African Americans without enemy involvement. In the memorandum the authors' highlight a race massacre in East Saint Louis on July 2, 1917 and Colonel Young losing out on the post of commanding Fort Des Moines along with being forcibly retired due "high blood pressure.". Instead of the highly qualified black Colonel Young, white Lieutenant Colonel. Charles C. Ballou was given the post instead.

Full transcript coming soon.

Source Dependent Questions

  • How did the memorandum respond to the charge of disloyalty toward black men and women? Use evidence from the source. How was this response different from Deb's speech?
  • What did the memorandum from the NAACP argue was the cause of unrest in the black community? Given black service during World War I the editorial by DuBois in the same publication and why would the government make claims of disloyalty?
  • How did this source show a widening of existing divides in the United States?

Citation Information

Dubois, W.E.B. and Johnson, James, "Loyalty of the American Negro" 1917. The Crisis. Courtesy of Library of Congress