“The Jim Crow Army Must Have a Scapegoat”: Justice, Cowardice, and the Court Martial of Lieutenant Leon Gilbert (Korea, 1950)

IF 0.8 Q3 ETHNIC STUDIES Journal of African American Studies Pub Date : 2024-06-20 DOI:10.1007/s12111-024-09664-7
Chris Dixon, Jessica Johnson
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Abstract

The story of Lieutenant Leon Gilbert—a Black United States Army officer court-martialed during the Korean War—challenged the United States’ self-declared postwar mission to free oppressed peoples across the world, while continuing to subjugate African Americans at home. Although many critics judged Gilbert’s refusal to return to battle as an act of cowardice, others viewed him as a victim, and even a hero. The Gilbert case revealed that although African Americans were ostensibly making progress in the newly desegregated United States military, the fight for racial justice continued to be impeded by white Americans’ perceptions of Black inadequacy. Amidst a war purportedly being fought for principles of democracy and freedom, Gilbert’s court martial highlighted the connection between American racism and United States foreign policy, as Black military personnel became scapegoats for their nation’s military failures. The prosecution and persecution of Gilbert thus exposed the tension between American rhetoric and American racism.

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"吉姆-克罗军队必须有个替罪羊":正义、懦弱与莱昂-吉尔伯特中尉的军事法庭(朝鲜,1950 年)
莱昂-吉尔伯特(Leon Gilbert)中尉--一名在朝鲜战争中被送上军事法庭的美国黑人军官--的故事挑战了美国自称的战后使命,即解放全世界受压迫的人民,同时继续在国内奴役非裔美国人。尽管许多评论家认为吉尔伯特拒绝重返战场是懦夫行为,但也有人认为他是受害者,甚至是英雄。吉尔伯特一案表明,虽然非裔美国人表面上在刚刚取消种族隔离的美国军队中取得了进步,但争取种族公正的斗争仍然受到美国白人对黑人不足的看法的阻碍。在一场号称为民主和自由原则而战的战争中,吉尔伯特的军事法庭凸显了美国种族主义与美国外交政策之间的联系,因为黑人军人成了他们国家军事失败的替罪羊。因此,对吉尔伯特的起诉和迫害暴露了美国言论与美国种族主义之间的紧张关系。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
0.80
自引率
0.00%
发文量
30
期刊介绍: The Journal of African American Studies publishes original research on topics of professional and disciplinary concern for the social progress of people of African descent. This includes subjects concerning social transformations that impact the life chances of continental Africans and the African diaspora. Papers may be empirical, methodological, or theoretical; including literary criticism. In addition to original research, the journal publishes book reviews, commentaries, research notes, and occasional special thematic issues. African American Studies is an interdisciplinary field; diverse disciplinary methods and perspectives that include anthropology, art, economics, law, literature, management science, political science, psychology, sociology, social policy research, and others are appreciated.
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