For the 380,000 African American soldiers who fought in World War
I, Woodrow Wilson's charge to make the world "safe for democracy"
carried life-or-death meaning. Chad L. Williams reveals the central
role of African American soldiers in the global conflict and how
they, along with race activists and ordinary citizens, committed to
fighting for democracy at home and beyond. Using a diverse range of
sources,
Torchbearers of Democracy reclaims the legacy of
African American soldiers and veterans and connects their history
to issues such as the obligations of citizenship, combat and labor,
diaspora and internationalism, homecoming and racial violence, "New
Negro" militancy, and African American memories of the war.
