The Negro Soldier
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| The Negro Soldier | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Stuart Heisler |
| Produced by | Frank Capra |
| Written by | Carlton Moss |
| Starring | Carlton Moss
Norman Ford Bertha Woolford |
| Cinematography | CPO Alan Thompson, Capt. Horace Woodward and Lt. Paul C. Vogel |
| Distributed by | War Activities Committee of the Motion Pictures Industry |
| Release date(s) | 1944 |
| Running time | 43 min |
| Language | English |
The Negro Soldier was a 1944 propaganda film produced by the United States War Department encouraging African-Americans to join the armed forces and otherwise help the war effort.
The film begins with a scene of people arriving at a black church on Sunday, a man in uniform singing in the choir. The pastor decides to devote his sermon on the Negro and the war. He begins with an historical introduction, talking about African-American contributions to American military endeavors from Crispus Attucks on.
At the point were he comes to World War Two the preacher talks about the racism of the Nazi movement and quotes an anti-black passage from Mein Kampf.
After he finished this discussion he is "interrupted" by a woman in the audience who reads the congregation a letter from her son in the infantry. Her narrative is accompanied by footage of African-American servicemen in orientation and training camps.
