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The Negro Soldier Movie Essay

487 Words2 Pages

Dev Patel.

HY 222-01

Film review – The Negro Soldier

“The Negro Soldier”, is a 1944 documentary created by the United States Army during World

War 2. The film was produced by Frank Capra. The army used this film as propaganda to

convince Black Americans to enlist in the army and fight in the war. The movie opens in a large,

neo-gothic church. A preacher is giving a sermon referring to different men in the army. He

talks about the achievements of African American over the years. Those achievements have

truly made a difference in Americas growth in terms of labor, military, sports and so on. He

mentions that the Nazi army is currently at war with the entire world, then begins to read

quotes from Hitler’s book Mein Kampf, …show more content…

The people gathered looks surprised realizing what the Nazis really

think about the African American race. He recalls the examples of the black heroism over the

history of America, going through all the time periods over the United States history. Using the

1932 championship bout between Joe Louis and Max Schmeling as a metaphor for the conflict

between the United States and Germany, the minister details the participation of blacks’ in

various struggles throughout American history, including the Revolutionary War, the War of

1812, the Civil War, the Spanish American War and World War I. Specific heroes of those wars-

-Peter Salem of the Revolutionary War, Thomas Wilson of the War of 1812 and Samuel

Washington of World War 1 are the various black military units, such as the 371st Infantry,

which distinguished itself in battle during World War 1.

He also goes on to mention that a statue had been built in order to commemorate all colored

soldiers with the engraving, “lasting record shall be made of their unselfish devotion to duty”.

Unfortunately, the Nazis went on to destroy the monuments in France that were devoted to

African American soldiers. He also stresses the fact that African American played a crucial

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