African Americans in the military.

The author overviews the historiography of African Americans in the US military, from early historians of African Americans in the late 19th century, to revisionist attempts to insert black soldiers into the military history of the US, through the growth and evolution of more specialized studies and the development of contemporary perspectives on diversity in the military. Williams examines role of African Americans in key conflicts and periods, including the American Revolution; the War of 1812; the American Civil War and Reconstruction; the "Buffalo Soldiers" stationed in the US West and Southwest in the late 19th century; the Spanish-Cuban-American War and its aftermath; the Brownsville Affair of 1906, in which 167 black soldiers were dishonorably discharged following a shooting; World War I; World War II; the struggle for civil rights and desegregation in the armed forces; the Korean War; the Vietnam War; the 1991 Gulf War; and the conflict in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq at the beginning of the 21st century. Beginning in the early 1990s the military, aided by the 1991 Gulf War and the ascent of Colin Powell, successfully cultivated an image of itself as the most racially diverse and equitable institution in American society. Scholars have internalized this theme, which dominates recent studies of African American military history, Wallace notes. Following the essay, a bibliography of recommended reading, a chronology of events from 1639 to 2003, and a glossary are presented.