Black soldiers have served in every war in the history of the United States though the armed forces were not officially desegregated until 1948 when President Truman signed Executive Order 9981. The order declared “that there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed forces without regard to race, color, religion or national origin.” Prior to the order, the Marines had no Black individuals enlisted as combat infantry; the Army Air Corps maintained an all-white policy; and the Army had only five Black officers.
During the Revolutionary War, many free Black soldiers enlisted to fight for the new country’s independence. The Civil War saw around 179,000 Black soldiers serving in the U.S. Army, and another 19,000 in the Navy. In later conflicts, many would fight in segregated units, such as the Buffalo Soldiers or Louisiana’s 2nd Battalion of Free Men of Color or acted as servants for military officers. Some discriminatory recruiting policies, many put in place after an influx of Black enlistees, lasted until Truman’s presidential order of 1948.
Of the 3,470 Medals of Honor, there have been 90 Black recipients, one of whom received the medal twice. Robert Augustus Sweeney, a Navy veteran who served in the late 19th century, was awarded the commendation two times for saving a fellow crew member from drowning. The earliest Black recipient was William Henry Carney, a sergeant who served with the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War.
Many black veterans went on to illustrious careers after their enlistment.
- Colin Powell rose to the rank of 4-star general over thirty-five years of service in the Army and later became the first African-American secretary of state
- Morgan Freeman spent four years in the Air Force before pursuing acting
- Berry Gordy, Jr., founded Motown Records after being drafted into the Army to serve in the Korean War
- Robin Quivers was discharged from the Air Force with the rank of captain, and later went on to co-host The Howard Stern Show
- David Robinson, who was enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame during his career with the San Antonio Spurs, was a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and served in the Navy for six years
- Before he became the voice of Darth Vader, James Earl Jones join the Army in 1953, attended Ranger school, and reached the rank of 1st lieutenant before his discharge
- Sheryl Underwood served in the Air Force before moving on to a career in comedy, acting, and television hosting
- Laurence Tureaud, better known as Mr. T, enlisted in the Army in 1975 and served as an MP before his discharge
- Sunny Anderson moved from a broadcast position in the Air Force, where she reached the rank of senior airman, become becoming a celebrity chef on Food Network’s “The Kitchen”
- James “Jimi” Marshall Hendrix was given the choice of jailtime or enlistment and served one year with the 101st Airborne Division before an ankle injury earned him a discharge.