Black Paris: The Harlem Hellfighters' Fight After WW1
Their Fight After World War 1 by Faith Austin
The memorial that I would like to highlight is the Harlem Hellfighters’ Victory Parade path. (Their path starting from downtown NY up to Fifth Avenue [Fifth Avenue at 23rd Street to 145th and Lenox] and ending in Harlem)
The 369th Infantry Regiment – also known as “Harlem Hellfighters,” a nickname given to them by their WW1 enemy, the Germans, due to the German’s fear of them – was an American military regiment that was made up mostly of African Americans and some Puerto Ricans. Although the Harlem Hellfighters were created in Harlem, New York, and trained in Spartanburg, South Carolina, they fought in France with French troops due to the French needing more troops to help on the fronts, but mainly because of the discrimination they dealt with while in the United States and segregation and inequality of Black and White American troops. While, over in France, they did not see as much hatred towards them by their French campaigns. They fought for democracy even though they did not fully get all the benefits of it in Europe or back home. Hoping that by fighting for it and their country, it would show that they deserve more equality and rights. During the war, the Hellfighters would fight longer than any other American troop on the frontlines, spending a total of 191 days in the trenches around Champagne. They also were known for not being easy to capture to be taken prisoner and if one was captured, they were known for not spilling any information to the enemy. After the war in 1918, the Harlem Hellfighters earned and were recognized by the French government. They were given Medals of Honor, and the whole regiment received a French Croix de Guerre with Silver Star, and Henry Johnson was the first American to earn the Croix de Guerre and other awards that reflected their skills and bravery.
Being honored by the French and the appreciation and positive attention the Harlem Hellfighters were getting from the United States fed into their hope and belief that they were finally going to get the equity and rights they deserved and fought for during World War 1. And even though they were not even allowed to take part in the “Farewell” parade at the beginning of WW1, the government did throw the Harlem Hellfighters and the other segregated troops their own “Welcome Home” celebration parade separate from the white troops’ parade after the war. They marched in New York from downtown up to Fifth Avenue and through Harlem, where the soldiers were reunited with their families and friends. In which a diversity of people – both colored and non-colored – came to see their parade and cheer for them. The Harlem Hellfighters’ brave and patriotic stories made headlines in both local and national newspapers. All the positive attention got their hopes up that their efforts and sacrifices in the war were going to be worth something and that they were finally opening people’s eyes in the right direction toward equality and desegregation. I mean after all the Harlem Hellfighters started with around 4,500 and lost more than 1,400 of their fellow soldiers and came home with around 3,000 survivors all for the power and hope of their equal rights, but I guess their sacrifices were not enough.
For the positivity and appreciation did not live long for the Harlem Hellfighters and other colored veterans and the following Summer of 1919, the honor and equality they deserved turned into more reasons why many white people discriminated against African Americans. The Harlem Hellfighters’ and other Black veterans’ deserved recognition made many white people scared that the Jim Crow Laws were being threatened. So, that summer, a lot of white people attacked, lynched, and killed numerous colored veterans and other innocent African Americans. The white people were mainly trying to target WW1 African American veterans. In response to those inhuman attacks and the injustice of not getting protection, a lot of African American veterans took up arms to protect and train their colored neighbors and communities and help fight back in self-dense against the racist attacks. That Summer would become throughout history the “Red Summer of 1919” because an estimated 76 Black veterans were killed and around 250 other African Americans were killed and more injured during that Summer.
The Harlem Hellfighters fought honorably in WW1 – the World War 1 – only for the survivors to have the understandable thought of getting welcomed with the rights and freedom they deserved and fought to protect - for everyone – when they got home. But no, for the most part, a lot of veterans – survivors – came back just to be killed by the racism of their “home.” The home they fought to protect and would continue to fight for when other wars might threaten their country. Always willing to step up and fight for what is right.
Harlem Hellfighters (the 369th Regiment) Monument
The New York City's memorial replica of the 1919 black granite obelisk memorial that stands in Sechault in Northern France, where the 369th soldiers distinguished themselves in WW1. (5th Ave. &, W 142nd St, New York, NY 10037)
A Modern Map of Harlem Hellfighters' Victory Parade Path
Parade Starting Point: E 23rd St & 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010
Down through: Malcolm X Blvd, New York, NY
Through: W 145th St, New York, NY
Parade Ending Near: Lenox Ave & 145th St Bridge, New York, NY 10039
(This is as close as I could get on Google Maps to the Harlem Hellfighters' Victory Parade path, due to the changes in streets and locations from 1919 to nowadays.)