Virtual
Over one million Black men and women served in World War II. Black troops were at Normandy, Iwo Jima, and the Battle of the Bulge, serving in segregated units and performing unheralded but vital support jobs, only to be denied housing and educational opportunities on their return home. Drawing on his upcoming book, Half American, Professor Matthew Delmont explains how Black troops played a vital role in helping the Allies win WWII, and returned to America to fight for civil rights and democracy on the home front. This is an inspiring history of bravery and patriotism in the face of unfathomable racism. Join us for this free, online program in our A "Good" Citizen Lecture Series, part of the 2022 A More Perfect Union initiative.
About the presenter:
Dr. Matthew Delmont is the Sherman Fairchild Distinguished Professor of History at Dartmouth College. A Guggenheim Fellow and expert on African-American History and the history of Civil Rights, he is the author of four books: Black Quotidian: Everyday History in African American Newspapers (Stanford University Press, 2019); Why Busing Failed: Race, Media, and the National Resistance to School Desegregation (University of California Press, 2016); Making Roots: A Nation Captivated (University of California Press, 2016); and The Nicest Kids in Town: American Bandstand, Rock ‘n’ Roll, and the Struggle for Civil Rights in 1950s Philadelphia (University of California Press, 2012). His latest book, Half American: The Epic Story of African Americans Fighting World War II at Home and Abroad, was published by Viking Books in 2022. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, the Washington Post, NPR, and several academic journals. Originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Delmont earned his B.A from Harvard University and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Brown University.
Dr. Delmont has spoken and consulted with Fortune 500 companies, universities, colleges, and community organizations regarding civil rights, diversity and inclusivity, and how to reckon with the history of racism in America.
