The Negro Soldier

During World War II, Nazi Germany threatened to take over Europe, North Africa and the Near East. The United States Army was looking for men to enlist. Although the U.S. Army was officially committed to practicing segregation, they turned to African American workforce. Social scientists of the time argued that the mass media were the best way to instill a message within people and push them to act towards a common goal. In March 1942, Capra began brainstorming The Negro Soldier. He asked different researchers to inform him about what was acceptable and what was not acceptable in creating a cinematic depiction of African-Americans. These researchers came up with a list of cautions, some of which included "avoid stereotypes such as the Negroes’ alleged affinity for watermelon or pork; also avoid strong images of racial identity (‘play down colored soldiers more Negroid in appearance’ and omit ‘Lincoln, emancipation, or any race leaders or friends of the Negro’)". Many people gave the film great reviews and praised the film very highly; however, the film did not do well commercially as shown in theatres. The 43-minute length of the film made it awkward to show alongside typical films of the time that were longer than one hour. All the while, a filmmaker named Jack Goldberg was suing Capra and The Negro Soldier because he believed that the film "competed unfairly" with his own film, ''We've Come a Long, Long Way (1944) that dealt with the same race issues. Although Goldberg ended up losing this lawsuit, The Negro Soldier'' was never successful in theaters. == Summary ==

The Negro Soldier opens in a large, neo-gothic style church. From the point of view of the congregation, we see a preacher giving a sermon referring to different men in the army. The camera pans to different members of the army seated in the audience as the preacher mentions each one. This preacher, played by Carlton Moss, then launches into a speech reflecting on the achievements of African-Americans over the years. Famous boxers and track stars are mentioned as defeating Germany in matches such as the Berlin Olympic Games. The preacher mentions that the Nazi army is currently at war with the entire world, and just like "Joe Louis training for the fight of his life", the real championship will be determining which way of life will survive World War II. Moss claims that the stakes in this war are the greatest that men have ever fought for. To further stress the importance of fighting against the Nazis, Moss begins to read from the "gospel according to Hitler". At this time Moss quotes from Hitler's book Mein Kampf, "...it is a sin against all reason to train a born half-ape until one believes one has made a lawyer of him." This quote is used to plant anger and the desire to want to fight against Hitler and his army. The congregation looks surprised to realize what the Nazis really think about the African-American race. Moss then begins to recall all of the examples of African-American heroism over the history of America. For example, Moss mentions Crispus Attucks being the first to die in the Boston Massacre. These scenes from different battles and different time periods over United States history are proof that America truly owes its national freedom to all of its peoples, including the African-American population. Moss goes on to mention that a statue had been built in order to commemorate all colored soldiers with the engraving, "lasting record shall be made of their unselfish devotion to duty". Unfortunately, Moss claims, the Nazis went on to destroy the monuments in France that were devoted to African-American soldiers from World War I. Furthermore, in reference to America, Moss says "men of every faith, color, and town have helped to nourish it". Moss keeps stressing the fact that African-Americans played a crucial role in building the United States and making the country what it is today. The film then shifts gears, as a woman from the congregation, a Mrs. Bronson, stands up to talk about her son, who has recently joined the army. She reads a letter from him, where he tells how he has learned how to make a bed, played sports, met a girl at a dance, and trained on the battlefield. The film shows images of Mrs. Bronson's son going through training and all of the different events that he writes about in his letter. The head officials in the army are shown telling all of the soldiers that there are now three times as many colored men in the army than there were previously. This section of the film stresses the notion that men of all colors and backgrounds have come together to fight on the battlefield for the common purpose of defeating the Nazis. All men, colored or white, know the meaning of their job and are determined to work together in order to fight against evil. The common man who has previously been known as a farmer, carpenter, tailor, or any other common folk job is now a part of the United States Army and ready to do his share in the fight. The Negro Soldier flashes different scenes of the brutal warfare taking place that need to be dealt with. The final scene of the movie shows the entire black congregation standing up and singing, as soldiers march towards the fight. == Influence ==

The Negro Soldier influenced later African-American films and its viewers in different ways. The film played a considerable part in altering the types of roles that African-Americans received in following films. For example, instead of showing blacks only as slaves or subservients, this film showed African-Americans as lawyers, musicians, athletes, and other valued professions. In different movies during this time period, African-Americans were often portrayed as humorous characters. However, after The Negro Soldier, African-Americans played more respectable and prominent roles in films. Furthermore, people came to realize how important and influential a tool films were for social change. Messages within films, if expressed the correct way, could influence audiences greatly. The message within The Negro Soldier solidified the notion and provided visual proof that racial equality was a justified concept and should be accepted. Many African-American viewers and organizations responded enthusiastically to the film. ==Legacy==

In December 2011, The Negro Soldier was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. The Registry said the film "showcased the contributions of blacks to American society and their heroism in the nation's wars, portraying them in a dignified, realistic, and far less stereotypical manner than they had been depicted in previous Hollywood films." == See also ==