Transcripts For CSPAN3 Military Service Of Howard University

CSPAN3 Military Service Of Howard University Students July 14, 2024

Lopez africanamericans were volunteer infantryman, but the students at howard really wanted to be able to move higher in the military. They fought for the establishment of the first africanamerican Officers Training camp at fort des moines, iowa in 1917, and they continued their support of the military in the years that followed. Announcer 1 tell me about how they and their willingness to participate within the government, how it was received. Lopez the government was sort of hesitant because they had this idea africanamericans were not good for the military, that African Americans were somehow cowardly, and they still question whether africanamericans could serve. They were hesitant. But the students were very supportive. And there is actually is a letter in the book that they wrote to president wilson at the start of world war i where they said, we, officers, teachers and students of howard university, because of our unfailing devotion to our country, we hereby offer ourselves to her in mind, body and state for whatever use you may be able to make of us in maintaining her integrity and her high position among the nations of the world. So they wrote this because they wanted to show their support for country, support of the military, and to show that there were good citizens and that they also deserved equal rights. Reporter tell me about some of the other things that happened on campus in terms of the military preparation . Lopez so one of the more interesting things that happened on campus was they actually turned entire campus over to the 1918 fortment in training. If you have ever been to the howard campus, there are gates there were they actually locked the gate and built backs, build barracks and trenches, did military training and service on the campus. Reporter and talk to me about the other historically black colleges and universities. Were they also preparing their students for military service . Lopez so howard and wilberforce had the military training first programs of any black schools. And then after that other black schools started to create rotc training programs. Over the years, rotc has been a way black schools have supported the military. Reporter did they face any obstacles . You mentioned that they trained them so they would have higher ranking in the military. Did that work . Were there other obstacles . Narrator it worked lopez , but lopez it worked but you had to face obstacles, races and from fellow soldiers, doubts about the aptitude of black soldiers. That persisted for years even after forming the officer training corps. Throughout the years racism was , the biggest thing they had to face in fighting. Reporter and how about the connection . I know there is a connection between the Tuskegee Airmen of world war ii and howard university. Lopez so when thing that people dont really know is a lot of the Tuskegee Airmen actually started their training in howard. Because they had a Student Army Training unit on howards campus. And so they trained in howard and then the left howard and went and trained in tuskegee. So in the book, i have a list of howard alumni who participated in world war ii on the back, and you will see where they say this Tuskegee Army airfield. , Tuskegee Army airfield. A lot of people dont really know of that connection, but it is there. We have pictures with them. They are looking great with their hats on, so there is a big connection with howard and the Tuskegee Airmen. Reporter i know you have a Digital Production library in howard among other titles. Tell me about the collection of letters housed in the university, especially as it relates to the army service. Do you have any stories . Lopez sure. Dorothy porter, who is the founder of the research center, she had the foresight to collect letters written by howard alum while they were overseas. And so she traveled the campus and said have your students , written you from overseas, give me the letters so i can keep it, and she amassed a collection of hundreds of letters from howard alum while overseas serving. She preserved them and they are the ones that some of the ones i , see in the books. They just tell a great story about military service. Woman, anastasia scott, even though women couldnt serve, she talks about how happy she was to be there to help black soldiers, how seeing their eyes light up, seeing her come with donuts and coffee made her day. Reporter what year was it . Lopez that was in 1942. Or you have the howard soldiers writing back and talking about how proud they were to serve and how proud they were to represent howard well. Some talked about the racism they experienced, some talked about the lack of racism they experienced, how shocked they were that they were not experiencing racism. Williams, he wasnt overseas he was taken in , california. So he got to go to a lot of hollywood parties. He wrote back talking about how happy he was to go to parties and sit at tables with bob hope and how he loved the military because he was having a great time. A lot of differing stories, just talked about the interesting dynamic of black military service. Lopez reporter lopez matthews, thank you for talking with us. Lopez thank you. Thank you so much. The house will be in order. Announcer 1 for 40 years cspan has been providing america unfiltered coverage of congress, the white house, the Supreme Court and Public Policy events from washington, dc and around the country so you can make up your own mind. Created by cable in 1979 cspans brought to you by your local cable or satellite provider. Cspan, your unfiltered view of government. I have a white male, and i am prejudiced. And the reason it is is something i wasnt taught but kind of something that i learned. I dont like to be forced to like people. I like to be led to like people through example. What can i do to change, you know, to be a better american . That was a remarkable moment. I didnt realize until ice that office at because i stepped off the set because there were was. Calls, how powerful it there was something in his voice that touched me. So authentic as he searches for the words to Say Something to a National Audience that most of us wont admit in our homes, i am prejudiced. Tonight on q and a, Heather Mcghee was a guest on washington journal in august 2016 when this man called. She talks about the interaction and her followup with him. Part of the reason, this was august. We had this sort of racially charged thing with Donald Trumps campaign, black lives matter and the police shootings, tragic events, baton rouge and dallas. When peopley a time felt like all they were seeing on tv was race was bad news. Here was first a white man admitting that he was prejudiced for people of color was, we all said, finally. Announcer 2 tonight at 8 00 eastern on to a next, history david stradling. He joins us from cleveland, he joins us from along the Cuyahoga River in cleveland, where 50 years ago a fire helped galvanize the clean water and environmental movement. Mr. Stradling is coauthor of where the river burned carl stokes and the struggle to save cleveland. This is a coproduction with cspans washington journal. The Cuyahoga River, as most think of it, the brown stream that meets lake erie, an industrial waterway if banks populated by steel mills and factories, its channel filled with ships and tugs

© 2025 Vimarsana