Torchbearers of Democracy

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472 pp., 6.125 x 9.25, 18 halftones, notes, bibl., index

Paperback ISBN: 978-1-4696-0985-0
Published: August 2013
eBook ISBN: 978-0-8078-9935-9
Published: September 2010

John Hope Franklin Series in African American History and Culture

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Awards & distinctions

2011 Liberty Legacy Foundation Award, Organization of American Historians

A 2011 Choice Outstanding Academic Title

2011 Society for Military History Distinguished Book Award

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.

About the Author

Chad L. Williams is associate professor of African and Afro-American studies at Brandeis University.
For more information about Chad L. Williams, visit the Author Page.

Reviews

"A clear, unvarnished look at America in World War I. . . . Concise, descriptive and easy to read. . . . A very necessary and valuable book."--TOCWOC

"A far-ranging and detailed analysis."--St. Mihiel Trip-Wire

"Torchbearers of Democracy reclaims the legacy of black soldiers and establishes the World War I era as a defining moment in the history of African Americans and peoples of African descent more broadly. . . . This book is an important addition to a W.W.I library."--The Lone Star Book Review

"Us[es] a diverse range of sources. . . . Reclaims the legacy of black soldiers and establishes the World War I era as a defining moment in the history of African Americans and peoples of African descent more broadly. . . . An important addition to a WWI library."--Lone Star Book Review

"Indispensable. . . . Bits and pieces of this story may be found in a variety of other histories, but none to date have put the entire story together with the comprehensiveness, care, research, and insight of this hefty work. Highly recommended."--Choice

"Torchbearers of Democracy is not a story with heroes and villains, only victims. And Williams tells the story with the exquisite skill of a scholarly storyteller."--Virginia Libraries