Despite their country’s institutionalized prejudice, hundreds of thousands of African Americans fought in the U.S. military during World War I. They manned two combat divisions, one of them the 92nd Infantry Division popularly known as the Buffalo Soldiers.

Besides fighting Germans “like devils from hell,” members had to deal with racism, character assassination and the myth that they were “subhuman.”

Joelouis Mattox, a frequent Library speaker, discusses the role of African Americans in World War I, focusing on the 92nd Division. Mattox is the historian for the American Legion’s Wayne Miner Post 149, named for the Kansas City serviceman who served in the 92nd. Miner was one of the last Americans killed in World War I in 1918.