Buffalo Soldiers

Buffalo Soldiers

Buffalo Soldiers

The roots of Black military participation in Western armies lie in slavery, colonialism, and racial hierarchy. The Buffalo Soldiers of the United States were formed in 1866 from formerly enslaved men and free Black citizens after the Civil War, at a time when economic hardship and exclusion from civilian employment left military service as one of the few stable options available to Black men. Recruitment favored physically fit men with basic discipline and loyalty to the state, though they were barred from officer ranks and placed under white command.

They were promised steady pay, citizenship protection, and social advancement, yet in practice they endured segregation, harsh postings, delayed benefits, and limited recognition.
Similarly, during World War I and World War II, African Americans and millions of Africans from European colonies were drawn into war through a mix of voluntary enlistment, economic pressure, and forced conscription.

African Americans were recruited with promises of equality, respect, and expanded civil rights after the wars, while Africans from colonies such as Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Kenya, and Congo were often coerced by colonial authorities through taxation threats, village quotas, or direct force. Selection focused on able-bodied men, often regardless of skill or consent.

Though wartime propaganda promised fair wages, pensions, and political advancement, African colonial soldiers were paid less than European troops and frequently denied compensation after the wars, while Black American veterans faced segregation and systematic exclusion from benefits.

These broken promises revealed the exploitative foundations of Black military service and later fueled civil rights struggles in the United States and independence movements across Africa.