{"id":{"repo_id":"buffalo","oai_identifier":"oai:ubir.buffalo.edu:10477/86685"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/buffalo/oai:ubir.buffalo.edu:10477/86685","repository":{"repo_id":"buffalo","name":"Buffalo","base_url":"https://ubir.buffalo.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"The War Within: The Lives and Post-War Experiences of Black Veterans in the United States during World War I and Vietnam","abstract":"M.A.","abstract_html":"M.A.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Swygert, Anaiah; 0000-0003-1052-605X"],"institution":"State University of New York at Buffalo","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Griffler, Keith","Transnational Studies - American Studies"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-02-21T21:36:27Z","date_published":"2025-02-21T21:36:27Z","updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:05:34Z","subjects":["American studies"],"languages":["eng"],"rights":["Users of works found in University at Buffalo Institutional Repository (UBIR) are responsible for identifying and contacting the copyright owner for permission to reuse. University at Buffalo Libraries do not manage rights for copyright-protected works and cannot assist with permissions.","Copyright retained by author."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10477/86685","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Griffler, Keith","Transnational Studies - American Studies"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Swygert, Anaiah; 0000-0003-1052-605X"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date","label":"Dc Date","values":["2025-02-21T21:36:27Z","2020"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["State University of New York at Buffalo"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Text","Thesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["American studies"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["eng"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Users of works found in University at Buffalo Institutional Repository (UBIR) are responsible for identifying and contacting the copyright owner for permission to reuse. University at Buffalo Libraries do not manage rights for copyright-protected works and cannot assist with permissions.","Copyright retained by author."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10477/86685"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["M.A.","Systematically, the United States was never a nation built for the prosperity of anybody but white American men. However, when specifically looking at the military today and the issues that surround how Veterans are treated, mainstream media and even the government as a whole do not hesitate to shine a honorary light on the men and women who are brave enough to protect our country and the benefits they deserve; yet turn a blind eye on several instances of discrimination and injustice that still exist exclusively against minority military members. A prime contemporary example of this would be the exploited outrage of those against civilians who decided to kneel during the pledge of allegiance as a purpose of protesting racial inequality and police brutality within the United States. As time carried on, the focus of this protest initially ended up shifting from its main purpose of protest being about social inequality in the United States to being interpreted as a blatant and spiteful form of disrespect targeting the nation's Veteran community. Nonetheless the intersectionality of the two issues relate directly for many who fall under the circumstances of both. This piece serves the purpose of addressing the racial differences that continue to exist within our nation's military, specifically for our African American Veteran community with questions of interest surrounding the inequitable treatment of black veterans and how it contributes to an undying system of oppression within the black community. Black Veterans in particular were targeted following their return from war because they displayed a level of strength and courage as soldiers and this was deemed a huge threat to sustaining the Jim Crow Era. As a result, black veterans faced several instances of physical abuse and even death by the hands of white Americans in an effort to maintain social superiority against the black community domestically within the nation. Following the end of the Civil War, the African American community faced acts of violence from white Americans who were unwilling to accept the impending end of slavery and racial subordination. Decades of rising violent lynch mobs and acts of terror were carried out by white supremacists in an attempt to sustain the racial hierarchy in America. This research will make a point to call out the hypocrisies of the United States as it engages in various instances of international warfare in an attempt to combat fascism, racism and dictatorships abroad all while domestically condoning the lack of democracy that existed against minority communities within their own boarders. Also, the documentation of these instances were crucial to understanding the incongruity of the nation's idea of freedom and democracy while turning a blind eye to the violence and atrocities faced by the minority communities within. By including direct research and quotes documented by black veterans who narrated their experiences abroad while in the militay, it became prevalent that they were still treated as inhumane as they are within their homeland (being the United States). This is particularly important because it is just one of the instances that highlights the social injustices that are faced in the United States against minority communities regardless of occupation and social contributions to the nation as a whole. A common myth regarding black veterans who serve in the nation's military is the notion that their service would earn them enough honor and respect to improve the social circumstances that surrounded them prior. There is the ideology of black inferiority that is deeply rooted in everything surrounding the structure of the United States, regardless of service or occupation; so the belief that allying themselves with white Americans to battle abroad only led to disappointment. Furthermore, there was a growing fear of whites against black veterans asserting themselves towards equality, which was a threat to white supremacy, and the racialized economic order established during this time.","**To request an accessible version of the file(s) associated with this item, contact library@buffalo.edu. Please include the item's persistent URL [http://hdl.handle.net/. . .] in your request.**"]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The War Within: The Lives and Post-War Experiences of Black Veterans in the United States during World War I and Vietnam"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Griffler, Keith","Transnational Studies - American Studies"],"dc:creator":["Swygert, Anaiah; 0000-0003-1052-605X"],"dc:date":["2025-02-21T21:36:27Z","2020"],"dc:description":["M.A.","Systematically, the United States was never a nation built for the prosperity of anybody but white American men. However, when specifically looking at the military today and the issues that surround how Veterans are treated, mainstream media and even the government as a whole do not hesitate to shine a honorary light on the men and women who are brave enough to protect our country and the benefits they deserve; yet turn a blind eye on several instances of discrimination and injustice that still exist exclusively against minority military members. A prime contemporary example of this would be the exploited outrage of those against civilians who decided to kneel during the pledge of allegiance as a purpose of protesting racial inequality and police brutality within the United States. As time carried on, the focus of this protest initially ended up shifting from its main purpose of protest being about social inequality in the United States to being interpreted as a blatant and spiteful form of disrespect targeting the nation's Veteran community. Nonetheless the intersectionality of the two issues relate directly for many who fall under the circumstances of both. This piece serves the purpose of addressing the racial differences that continue to exist within our nation's military, specifically for our African American Veteran community with questions of interest surrounding the inequitable treatment of black veterans and how it contributes to an undying system of oppression within the black community. Black Veterans in particular were targeted following their return from war because they displayed a level of strength and courage as soldiers and this was deemed a huge threat to sustaining the Jim Crow Era. As a result, black veterans faced several instances of physical abuse and even death by the hands of white Americans in an effort to maintain social superiority against the black community domestically within the nation. Following the end of the Civil War, the African American community faced acts of violence from white Americans who were unwilling to accept the impending end of slavery and racial subordination. Decades of rising violent lynch mobs and acts of terror were carried out by white supremacists in an attempt to sustain the racial hierarchy in America. This research will make a point to call out the hypocrisies of the United States as it engages in various instances of international warfare in an attempt to combat fascism, racism and dictatorships abroad all while domestically condoning the lack of democracy that existed against minority communities within their own boarders. Also, the documentation of these instances were crucial to understanding the incongruity of the nation's idea of freedom and democracy while turning a blind eye to the violence and atrocities faced by the minority communities within. By including direct research and quotes documented by black veterans who narrated their experiences abroad while in the militay, it became prevalent that they were still treated as inhumane as they are within their homeland (being the United States). This is particularly important because it is just one of the instances that highlights the social injustices that are faced in the United States against minority communities regardless of occupation and social contributions to the nation as a whole. A common myth regarding black veterans who serve in the nation's military is the notion that their service would earn them enough honor and respect to improve the social circumstances that surrounded them prior. There is the ideology of black inferiority that is deeply rooted in everything surrounding the structure of the United States, regardless of service or occupation; so the belief that allying themselves with white Americans to battle abroad only led to disappointment. Furthermore, there was a growing fear of whites against black veterans asserting themselves towards equality, which was a threat to white supremacy, and the racialized economic order established during this time.","**To request an accessible version of the file(s) associated with this item, contact library@buffalo.edu. Please include the item's persistent URL [http://hdl.handle.net/. . .] in your request.**"],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier":["http://hdl.handle.net/10477/86685"],"dc:language":["eng"],"dc:publisher":["State University of New York at Buffalo"],"dc:rights":["Users of works found in University at Buffalo Institutional Repository (UBIR) are responsible for identifying and contacting the copyright owner for permission to reuse. University at Buffalo Libraries do not manage rights for copyright-protected works and cannot assist with permissions.","Copyright retained by author."],"dc:subject":["American studies"],"dc:title":["The War Within: The Lives and Post-War Experiences of Black Veterans in the United States during World War I and Vietnam"],"dc:type":["Text","Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:05:34Z"}