With the resurgence of virulent racism and bigotry.
There is some history of which those people should be made aware!
The very first man to die in defense of American Independence,was a free Black man named Crispus Attucks. He was shot down by British troops at Concord Bridge in Boston Massachusetts!
During the American Civil War, the Union Army for the first time recruited African Americans.
The 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment was slaughtered by confederate soldiers after they had surrendered,after the failed assault on Fort Wagner in Charleston Harbor! Black soldiers were also massacred after capture by cavalry troopers,led by Brigadier General Nathan Bedford Forrest! (who would go on to found the ku klux klan)
After the Civil War, African Americans were recruited into the US Cavalry to fight in the plains war against Native Americans,who gave
them the name they would be known by for many years,that name was the Buffalo Soldiers. There were Buffalo Soldiers now infantry regiments,at San Juan Hill in Cuba, in the Spanish American War.
Buffalo Soldiers would serve during the "Great War"(WWI).
In WWII African Americans served as soldiers, sailors and airmen, The
Tuskeegee Airmen flew cover missions in fighter planes protecting allied bombers over Europe!
Buffalo Soldiers fought in Korea as the 24th Infantry regiment. The very first Congressional Medal of Honor in Korea was awarded posthumously to a soldier of this regiment. One William Thompson who manned a machine gun until he was killed,allowing the other soldiers of the regiment to retreat from numerically superior Korean forces!
After WWII at long last the military of the United States was desegregated,at the order of Pres. Harry S.Truman.
Since that time African Americans have served in every branch of the US armed forces including the Coast Guard.