Over one million Black men and women served in World War II. Clint Smith, #1 New York Times bestselling author of How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America Half American belongs firmly within the canon of indispensable World War II books.” Delmont’s book is filled with compelling narratives that outline with nuance, rigor, and complexity how Black Americans fought for this country abroad while simultaneously fighting for their rights here in the United States. The definitive history of World War II from the African American perspective, written by civil rights expert and Dartmouth history professor Matthew Delmont

A Best Book of the Year from TIME, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Washington Independent Review of Books, and more!.Winner of the 2023 Anisfield-Wolf Book Award in Nonfiction.Delmont’s meticulously researched retelling and learning more about these individuals’ bravery and patriotism in the face of racism. Davis, Jr., leader of the Tuskegee Airmen Ella Baker, the civil rights leader who advocated on the home front for Black soldiers, veterans, and their families James Thompson, who laid bare the hypocrisy of fighting against fascism abroad when racism still reigned at home and poet Langston Hughes, who worked as a war correspondent for the Black press. Half American shares the experiences and impact of such heroes as Thurgood Marshall, the chief lawyer for the NAACP Benjamin O.

The stories of these Black veterans have long been ignored, as the myth of the “Good War” fought by the “Greatest Generation” has prevailed. Black troops were at Normandy, Iwo Jima, and the Battle of the Bulge, serving in segregated units and performing vital support jobs. The definitive history of World War II from the African American perspective, written by civil rights expert and Dartmouth history professor Matthew Delmont. Presented in partnership with Boston Public Library, Museum of African American History, and GBH Forum Network Moderated by Christian Walkes, Associate Director of Education and Interpretation, Museum of African American History Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Half American by Matthew F. Delmont