Fearlessly Fighting for the Oppressor: French Colonial Troops in the African American Press during World War II

Abstract:Throughout the Second World War, African American newspapers published numerous articles and columns on the use and involvement of African soldiers in the French military, the Tirailleurs sénégalais. This article takes a closer look at the way the African American press portrayed these French colonial troops from Africa and used them in its own war efforts during the Second World War. By examining various newspapers, it uncovers three themes that dominated their reports and columns. First, black papers covered extensively the involvement and performance of black African soldiers in the French war effort. Second, they often portrayed France as an example of equality and integration in the military and society. Third, they discussed France's imperialism and oppression of its black subjects. The three themes reveal profound disagreements and debates within the African American press and community on the involvement of blacks in the war effort against Nazi Germany. African American journalists and commentators found themselves caught between pride and dismay at the sight of black Africans in uniforms of their colonial rulers fighting Nazis and fascists. Ultimately, all three themes were connected to the struggle of African Americans with and against white supremacy and segregation at home and abroad. They were, in their own way, meant to improve the lot and image of all blacks - predominantly black men.