By Demetrius Dillard
It is often said that “all heroes don’t wear capes.” One could argue that the same proverb could apply to Black veterans. Over the course of America’s 248-year history, there have been countless Black leaders who fought – some of whom died – for the liberation of Black people on domestic soil. From the Revolutionary War until now, Black military servicemen (and women more recently) have sacrificed their lives to defend a country that was and is often insufficient in defending them.
Similarly, there were Black civilians – those who didn’t literally enlist in a U.S. military branch – who also dedicated their lives to service. For them, the war of racism and White supremacy was a more critical battle to fight than an overseas conflict that may involve inflicting harm on an “enemy” who didn’t directly affect their reality.
By no means is this intended to diminish the legacy and importance of actual Black veterans – from the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, to the Buffalo Soldiers, to Brig. Gen. Benjamin O. Davis Sr., to the Tuskegee Airmen, and so forth. The millions of Black people who offered military service deserve admiration not only on Memorial Day and Veterans Day, but year-round.
Black veterans often enlisted in the military against their own will, like during the Vietnam War. Others enlisted as a condition of emancipation during the Civil War. In other words, serving in the U.S. military at the time was their way out of slavery.
That being said, it is important to note that Black heroism extends far beyond military service.
Nat Turner, Gabriel Prosser and leaders of the Amistad Rebellion (anti-slavery uprisings), for instance, are regarded as heroes as it relates to the fight for Black liberation. Not to mention the fearlessness of the honorable Harriet Tubman and her brilliance in guiding dozens of enslaved people to freedom.
Tubman risked her life for the liberation of others and will forever be regarded as a beacon of resilience.
Though these abovementioned leaders didn’t render military service per se, their acts of bravery against the evil forces of White supremacy should be held in high esteem.
Black heroic figures, thereby, deserve the same recognition as those who donned military uniforms. Aside from Nat Turner, Gabriel Prosser and the Amistad, other Black heroes that come to mind are Muhammad Ali, Khalid Abdul Muhammad and Martin Luther King. These four individuals recognized the war facing Black Americans and fought on the front lines, offering their lives for the greater good of their community.
Widely considered “The People’s Champion,” Ali’s fortitude earned him respect in and out of the ring. His most notable courageous gesture was the refusal to be inducted in the armed forces, yielding a prison sentence, a $10,000 fine and strip of his world heavyweight title.
Aside from the history he made as a legendary boxer, Ali will be best remembered for taking a stand for what he felt was right – even if it meant losing what was near and dear to him.
Outspoken and passionate in his delivery, Khalid Abdul Muhammad was often considered controversial by his contemporaries. He was a prominent figure in the 1980s and 1990s, and was the spokesman of the Nation of Islam at the height of his notoriety.
Vilified for his views on White America, Muhammad was labeled anti-Semitic and subsequently antagonized for so-called “virulent attacks” due to his incendiary takes on the relationship between Blacks and Jews. Nonetheless, Muhammad was a man who stood firmly against White supremacy and the many ills that adversely affected Black America, just as his predecessor, Malcolm X, did.
In many ways, his advocacy and activism centered around Black people reclaiming what was taken from them. One of Muhammad’s most well-known quotes is “Have you forgotten that once we were brought here, we were robbed of our names, robbed of our language, we lost our religion, our culture, our God; and many of us, by the way we act, we even lost our minds.”
A tribute to Muhammad by the New York Amsterdam News documented some of the ways he was an authentic, fearless freedom fighter.
According to the report, Muhammad passionately remarked that “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.”
During the time he lived in Harlem, Muhammad was well-connected to the community and “made a significant impact on area youths by nourishing their minds” prior to his death in February 2001, the article says. The story cited the words of Kem-Neter of the New Black Panther Party who said “Dr. Khalid was the epitome of Black manhood. An uncompromising Black Nationalist and messiah of our time!”
Likewise, photographer Azim Thomas was quoted saying “Brother Khalid Muhammad was dedicated and committed to freeing his people from the garnish they were undergoing because he had an undying love for them… “He dedicated his whole life to the resurrection of his people.”
Dr. King, considered by many to be the most influential Black leader in recent history, literally gave his life for the well-being of Black people.
Despite pushback from members of his own community for being a “integrationist,” his keen awareness and involvement in the war on poverty was embraced by many and demonized by others. Nevertheless, his efforts shaped the Civil Rights Movement and are immortalized in Black history.
“There is nothing new about poverty. What is new, however, is that we have the resources to get rid of it,” King said in his 1964 Nobel Peace Prize address. “The rich nations must use their vast resources of wealth to develop the underdeveloped, school the unschooled, and feed the unfed. Ultimately a great nation is a compassionate nation. No individual or nation can be great if it does not have a concern for ‘the least of these.’”
