The sound of wire cutters alerted them to the enemy’s presence. Enemy soldiers made their way across the battlefield towards Johnson and Roberts’ position. At the same time, a group of German soldiers prepared to launch a surprise raid on the French lines. Needham Roberts, were on a night patrol near a bridge they were guarding. On the night of May 15, Johnson participated in some of the regiment’s first combat. Equipped with French helmets, rifles, and taught enough French to understand orders, the 369th deployed to a position near the Argonne Forest integrated with the French 161st division.įor the first few weeks on the frontlines, the 369th saw little combat. As a result, Johnson and the 369th deployed to the front alongside white French soldiers who generally treated them better than many white American Soldiers. Army kept its forces segregated, the French chose to integrate their forces with Black soldiers from their empire. Pershing detached the 369th Infantry to serve with the French on April 8, 1918. Despite a desire to keep American units together, Maj. Many white Soldiers treated their Black comrades poorly, with some refusing to be stationed in the same trenches with African Americans. They performed manual labor, such as unloading supplies from ships and digging latrines. Upon arrival, Army leadership assigned the 93d to non-combat roles. When they deployed to Europe, the regiment was renamed the 369th Infantry Regiment, part of the segregated 93d Infantry Division. Johnson trained for months until the unit deployed to France in December 1917. He was assigned as a private to Company C, 15th New York Infantry Regiment, a segregated African American unit with some white officers. Just two months after the United States entered the war, the 5-foot-4-inch, 130 pound Johnson enlisted in the Army on June 5, 1917. Many of the opportunities enjoyed by white Americans were denied to Johnson but that did not stop him from answering the call of duty during World War I. Early in life, he worked as a chauffeur, soda mixer, laborer, and porter at Albany’s Union Station. Yet, Johnson courageously served the United States, displaying valor and determination above and beyond the call of duty.īorn in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, William Henry Johnson moved to New York state as a teenager. Johnson, along with hundreds of thousands of other African Americans to serve during World War I, was denied the same treatment as white Soldiers. However, the United States refused to recognize Johnson’s extraordinary actions. Henry Johnson’s actions on the night of earned him the nickname “Black Death.” Defending Allied lines, he saved a fellow Soldier from capture and prevented a German raid from reaching his French allies. We suggest you start with Beginning Courageous Conversations About Race (S ingleton & Hayes) and with the Anti-Racism LiveBinder (Kerr), a massive repository of anti-racism resources for all.Sgt. While many of the resources below are directed at teachers and educators, they will also benefit families in search of materials to foster such conversations. However, in today’s charged atmosphere, we believe the title works well to cover many of the challenging discussions communities nation-wide are having in an effort to collectively improve the human experience for all, but specifically in our local educational community. Singleton and Cindy Hays’ works on understanding racial disparities and how to work through them to overcome them. The name “Courageous Conversations” is borrowed from Glenn E. We hope to foster civil discourse on these issues in a way that brings our community together and helps us learn as a whole. Our staff and administrators have shared the following resources for adults working with students and some of the challenging topics that may come up. Classrooms welcome challenging conversations, and this past year has been no exception.
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