A US World War 2 propaganda film, showing how African-American soldiers are helping the Allied cause.

A well-made propaganda film. Quite stirring in showing the contribution African-Americans had made to previous wars and were making to the current war, World War 2. Made to convince African-Americans to join up and help win the war it does well to paper over the race-based social divide that existed in the US at the time.

Quite sad in the respect in that, while it was okay for African-Americans to fight and die for their country, they were treated as second class citizens at home, with less rights than whites. Just the fact that the film had to be made is a sad reflection of the times.

This said, it is very effective in its purpose and is even quite emotional at times. Some good military footage too.

"The Negro Soldier" is a film you wouldn't show in the 21st century. With our hyper-awareness of racism and its evils, folks today would immediately notice that the documentary paints a ridiculous image of 'we're all one big happy family' in regard to blacks in America during WWII. The truth is, they were second-class soldiers serving in a mostly segregated military. Blacks serving on naval vessels usually were assigned roles as glorified domestics--serving coffee and the like to the white sailors. And, even with the famed Tuskeegee Airmen and their wonderful service record, they were never integrated into white units. So, despite the image the film is trying to create, viewers today will quickly dismiss this as mere wartime propaganda...which it is.

Now I am not saying it's a badly made film. While the framework of a minister giving his sermon on Americanism and the war effort is patently ridiculous, as well as his congregation members joining in on the sermon...the effect is also rather sweet. An odd dichotomy, I know.

My advice is by all means watch the film. It does celebrate the many achievements of black soldiers...and it an interesting curio of the day...a flawed curio, of course.

I guess the best thing you could say about The Negro Soldier today is that it provided work for black players which did not involve stereotyping. This film under the auspices of the Office Of War Information is directed at our black citizens to tell them why it is in their best interests to join in the fight against Hitler.

The most obvious argument of course is Nazi racial theories which don't have much appeal to those outside who the Nazis viewed as inferior races. Seems logical to me.

But sad to say racism was alive and well in the USA and in a quarter or so of the country vigorously in place legally with formal segregation.

This film managed to give an overview of black history by barely mentioning slavery. What else could they do. The OWI had to get its funding from Congress where several powerful senior Representatives and Senators from the South controlled things. So we heard everything from Crispus Attucks to Joe Louis. No mention however of Nat Turner or Jack Johnson.

I think that most people and not just blacks would find this film patronizing and offensive today. But it was a product of the times.