book review of The marines of Montford point America s first black marines

Race relations have long been a very contentious and polarizing issue in American society. The history of America is littered with instances of sins committed against the African American population. This atrocities range in both magnitude and severity, the most egregious of which is slavery. Here, African Americans not only built and supported much of the wealth the many families benefit from to this day, but they did so under very harsh conditions. Exacerbating the issue was the many African Americans were not allowed to read or write in an effort to keep them ignorant of their future potential. All of these instances along with racism, stereotypes, and regulations all impeded the growth of African American society.

These issue along with many others are detailed in the book The Marines of Montford: America’s First Black Marines. Here many of the struggles enumerated in the introduction are given life through the text. Here the book details challenges related to racism, stereotypes of African Americans, and segregation. This all occurred while these African Americas where willing to give their life up for a country that did not have the same love for them as they did for the country. When reading the text, its becomes very apparent of the heroism and sacrifice many of these African American marines had to endure simply to become pioneers.

When reading the book, I immediately noticed how much work needs to be done within society in general as it relates to race relations. This has direct implications for the marines. For one, African Americans who would otherwise want to join the military will not be as willing to do so as they believe American doesn’t support them in a manner justifying the potential loss of life due to war. The book also illuminated issues within the military that may have implications for African Americans as well. The perception that African Americans are not as smart or as talented as their white counterparts still remains. This even occurs in our police force as racism is prevalent in the way that they treat civilians and enforce the laws. This same concept appears to be prevalent in the marines as well. This ultimately allows me to reflect highly on the bravery these African Americans exhibited when looking to disrupt the status quo of the marines.

In addition, the book details the motivations on why many of the African American marines joined the military to begin with. When reading about the trial and tribulations faced by African Americans during this period, I asked myself why would an African American want to fight for a country that was unwilling, at the time to fight for them. I was struck by the heroism and leadership many of these African Americans displayed as they attempted to put an end to many of the myths and stereotypes that permeated throughout the country and with the military overall.