The Chicago Defender: Its Representations & Uplift Project During the First World War

Abstract

The same American war narrative has been repeated to students for generations. In studying the worldwars, we learn about the young, white male soldiers training in American camps before being shipped overseas to Europe. We learn about the young white females in the Red Cross, working in hospitals at home anddistributing donuts to the soldiers abroad. We learn about the mobilization efforts in America--the foodconservation campaigns and the patriotic anthems. These are the stories that show up on the covers of American history textbooks--the ones that have remained prominent in the American narrative. In order to find alternative narratives, one must look to sources that have gone unnoticed by the majority. One must look to the historiesnot just about the people on the margins of society, but also to the histories told by marginal and minority folk.With this purpose in mind, I have set out to researching an unsung narrative of American history during World War I.

The Chicago Defender: Its Representations & Uplift Project During The First World War by Emilie Moran Woods is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License