Each individual Black experience has been different, but for many veterans, they returned home to inequality and oppression. These resources help to showcase the stories of African Americans in wartime and the impact, not only on the men and women who served, but the larger community.
In a February 25, 1991 New York Times article, then-President George H. W. Bush calls America's military "the greatest equal opportunity employer around" and praises black military service members, who, he says for "two centuries [...] have established a record of pride in the face of incredible obstacles."
While many attendess lauded his speech at the White House ceremony to mark Black History Month, there was still a mixed reception. Dorothy Height, president of the National Council of Negro Women, says she "was encouraged by his statement that the valor they have shown in the war warrants full recognition and opportunity when they return home." However, Wade J. Henderson, director of the Washington office of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, thought differently. He says, "African-Americans are patriotic people and their commitment to the full freedoms of this country and to the protection of American interests has been strong. We are disturbed, however, that many African Americans see opportunities in the general society so severely constricted that for some, the military option is the only viable one."
You can read the whole article: WAR IN THE GULF: The Black G.I.; Blacks Are Hailed by Bush For Their Role in Military, by Andrew Rosenthal of the New York Times.