Two Colored women with the American Expeditionary Forces

In Short

This narrative records the wartime experiences of two African American welfare workers serving with the Young Men's Christian Association in France during World War I. Facing official opposition, cold conditions, and pervasive racial segregation from military authorities, they manage canteens, organize educational programs, and foster morale among combat and labor battalions. The book captures a critical moment of racial history, preserving the dignity and contributions of black troops who fought for democracy abroad while being denied basic civil rights at home.

The Story

The narrative follows the journey of Addie W. Hunton and Kathryn M. Johnson as they answer the call to serve as YMCA welfare secretaries in France during the World War I era. Arriving in Brest, they encounter immediate hostility from white officials who attempt to exclude them from living in camp facilities. Resisting attempts to relegate them to city lodgings, they secure permission to remain among the men at Camp Pontanezen. They expand their work across the country, managing canteens, constructing libraries, establishing educational programs, and providing emotional support to thousands of troops.

Throughout their travels, they document the distinct realities of different African American units. They observe the combat struggles of the 92nd Division, which faces not only German artillery and airborne propaganda targeting American racial injustice, but also demoralizing hostility from its own white command. They contrast this with the 93rd Division, whose regiments are brigaded directly with French forces, earning decorations like the Croix de Guerre and receiving warm, respectful treatment from French civilians. Beyond the front lines, they highlight the grueling, vital efforts of the non-combatant Service of Supplies units and Pioneer Infantries—men who unload ships, move heavy ammunition in the "Race to Berlin," and undertake the solemn, exhausting work of reburying the dead at Romagne.

As the war ends, the authors organize leisure centers in Aix-les-Bains and oversee literacy campaigns in camps like Lusitania and Is-sur-Tille. They introduce basic reading and writing to illiterate soldiers, enabling them to sign payrolls and send their first letters home. They document how black military bands uplift morale, describe quiet moments of reflection in ruined cities like Verdun, and detail warm interactions between black troops and local French communities. The story concludes with their return to America, offering a call for national gratitude and systemic racial justice.

How It Unfolds

The call to serve Driven by a desire to support African American troops, the authors enlist with the YMCA and cross the Atlantic under constant threat of submarine attacks and naval drills. Upon landing in Brest, they resist local segregation attempts to establish their presence at Camp Pontanezen.

Service amidst suspicion The workers set up welfare huts, libraries, and wet canteens to serve thousands of soldiers while navigating institutional prejudice from military leadership. They document how German forces drop leaflets calling out American lynching and segregation to persuade black soldiers to desert.

Labor in the rear Shifting focus to non-combatant Service of Supplies units and Pioneer Infantries, the authors chronicle the relentless manual labor at French ports and supply bases. These soldiers endure severe exposure and hazardous conditions to maintain the supply lines critical to the final offensive.

Education and enlightenment In camps like Montoir and Is-sur-Tille, educational campaigns teach thousands of soldiers to read and write. The workers assist men who previously signed payrolls with an "X" as they draft their very first letters to their families back home.

The solemn aftermath Stationed near Verdun and Romagne, the authors support troops tasked with the grim duty of exhuming and reburying fallen soldiers. They organize Christmas celebrations for local French children and offer quiet companionship to servicemen preparing for demobilization and the long journey home.

The People

• Addie W. Hunton

A dedicated YMCA secretary and co-author who seeks to provide spiritual, educational, and emotional support to African American troops across France. Facing official prejudice and physical discomfort, she remains steadfast in organizing leave areas, teaching literacy, and advocating for the dignity of black servicemen.

• Kathryn M. Johnson

A co-author and welfare worker who documents the structural inequities faced by black regiments while running canteens and educational programs. She aims to record an accurate history of the black military experience, highlighting both the soldiers' sacrifices and their warm relationships with the French population.

• Mr. B. F. Lee, Jr.

A pioneering black YMCA secretary stationed at Camp Pontanezen who assists the authors in navigating military bureaucracy. He intervenes with welfare officers to secure proper housing and hut facilities for black workers and soldiers.

• Mr. J. L. Whiting and Mr. George W. Jackson

Educational directors who work in the supply camps of Montoir and Is-sur-Tille. Facing severe shortages of books, lights, and proper classrooms, they teach thousands of illiterate soldiers basic reading, writing, and arithmetic.

In Its Own Voice

"Finally, it was arranged for them to stay in the hut, much to the dissatisfaction of the white secretary in charge."

The authors describe the immediate friction and resistance they encountered from white administrative staff upon arriving to work at Camp Pontanezen.

"He set writing copies for all of these men with his own hand, taking their work home each day and reviewing and criticising it."

This line illustrates the painstaking, hands-on dedication of educational secretary J. L. Whiting as he taught illiterate soldiers in cold, candlelit mess halls.

"The colored soldiers were greatly loved by the French people, and while passing through the town of Laon, which had been in the hands of the Germans for four years, the French civilians knelt by the roadside and kissed the hands of the boys of the 370th Infantry, so grateful were they for their deliverance."

This passage highlights the deep gratitude and equal treatment black troops received from local French citizens following the liberation of their towns.

What It's Really About

The book examines the stark contradiction of African American soldiers fighting for freedom overseas while being subjected to systemic white supremacy by their own military command. It argues that the true measure of heroism lies not only in combat bravery, but in the unheralded, crushing labor of supply units and the quiet struggle for self-improvement through literacy. Underneath the daily logistics of canteen work and leave areas lies a persistent inquiry into the nature of American democracy and a demand that the nation honor the sacrifices of its black citizens with full civil rights and social justice.

Why Read It Today

This narrative offers an invaluable, first-hand account of World War I written directly from the perspective of African American women on the front lines of welfare work. Readers interested in military history, race relations, and social justice will find it an eye-opening counter-narrative to standard historical accounts of the American Expeditionary Forces. The text carries an authentic, earnest tone that reflects the social conventions and formal prose of the early twentieth century.

While modern readers may find the inclusion of official army memorandums, regimental citations, and detailed geographical itineraries somewhat dense, these primary documents provide crucial historical evidence. The book balances these administrative details with deeply moving personal encounters, highlighting the resilience of soldiers learning to write their names for the first time amidst the mud and cold of war. What remains long after reading is the undeniable dignity of the workers and soldiers who served selflessly in the face of profound institutional hostility.

<ElicitationsGroup message="To explore this historical account further:"> <Elicitation label="Compare the experiences of the 92nd and 93rd Divisions" query="Compare how the 92nd Division and the 93rd Division were treated by American and French commanders in Two Colored Women with the American Expeditionary Forces."/> <Elicitation label="Examine the educational programs organized for troops" query="Detail the educational and literacy programs organized by YMCA workers for African American soldiers in France as described in the book."/> </ElicitationsGroup>