© 2025 Western New York Public Broadcasting Association

140 Lower Terrace
Buffalo, NY 14202

Mailing Address:
Horizons Plaza P.O. Box 1263
Buffalo, NY 14240-1263

Buffalo Toronto Public Media | Phone 716-845-7000
BTPM NPR Newsroom | Phone: 716-845-7040
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
white text reading Stronger togethe rnow more than ever

In 'Half American,' historian Matthew Delmont tells the story of World War II from the Black perspec

World War II; troops in Italy, 1944. (Photo by Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)
World War II; troops in Italy, 1944. (Photo by Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)

Sign up for the On Point newsletter here

More than a million Black Americans fought for the United States in World War II.

They fought for a double victory: over fascism and over racism.

But their fight would continue long after the war ended:

“Should I sacrifice my life to live half American? Is the America I know worth defending?”

Today, On Point: World War II from a Black perspective.

Guests

Matthew Delmont, professor of history at Dartmouth College. Author of Half American: The Epic Story of African Americans Fighting World War II at Home and Abroad. (@mattdelmont)

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.