You don’t have to be a militarist, to derive some sense of pride in the battlefield exploits of your country, your group or your tribe.
As a Black man, I have always exalted in the prowess of African American fighting men and women going back to Crispus Attucks during the run-up to the American Revolution, or even further to the warriors of the Asante, Benin and Songhai kingdoms of ancient Africa.
Sure, I am proud of the accomplishments of Black people in politics, music, dance, sports, visual arts and literature. But I must confess my heart really swells when I read about accomplished Black military units – both well-known and obscure — including the 54th Massachusetts Infantry (immortalized in the movie, “Glory”), or the 10th Calvary which fought beside – and sometimes in front of – Theodore Roosevelt’s Rough Riders as they charged up San Juan Hill.
So, it was particularly concerning to learn of the decision to remove several plaques commemorating the contributions of Black soldiers during World War II from the American Military Cemetery in Margraten, the Netherlands. One of the plaques focused on the overall efforts of Black soldiers in the war while the other saluted George H. Pruitt, a Black soldier who drown trying to rescue a comrade in a Germany river at war’s end.
The removal of the displays follows a pattern of expunging memorials that single out Black and women soldiers in places such as Arlington National Cemetery. Much of this effort is fomented by right-wing organizations such as the Heritage Foundation which had hectored the American Battle Monuments Commission, a U.S. government agency that oversees the Margraten Cemetery about removing the plaques. Heritage had complained that the cemetery was violating President Donald Trump’s Executive Order ending diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the federal government.
So I believe “Black Messiahs” is engaged in its own battle, a fight against attempts to erase our own heroic military history.