The Great War and You - Marvin-Alonzo Greer

The world today is more similar to the world of 100 years ago than many would believe - debates on American citizenship, legal battles on individual freedoms, and women and minorities’ demand for complete and equal rights. Join Marvin-Alonzo Greer, historian and historical interpreter as he connects the dots from the past to the present, in an all-ages manner, and discusses how WWI continues to impact us today.
For more information about the National WWI Museum and Memorial visit theworldwar.org

[@tammihackley4349]

Great insights!

[@jameswpeterson9961]

Thank you for the presentation. I was searching for information on Jamaicans serving in The Great War. I ran across a Jamaican postage stamp showing soilders being loaded up into boxcars to be sent into service during WW1. Reggae music has Inspired me to learn more about black history.

[@postical]

Theres a lot in here that is a stretch. Many of the paths are more tied to the civil war and reconstruction than the First World War. Wilson was the one that actually segregated the military from having integrated units (although such as the Civil War only white officers for instance led the 54th Massachusetts and "contraband" units). But the line about yelling fire in a theater is misleading. You can legally yell fire in a crowded place as its freedom of speech. But you face the consequences of that action. If nothing happens or someone just tells you to shut up and sit back down then its left alone. If the theater tells you to leave then you have to leave. But if it causes a panic and someone gets trampled then you face the co sequences of starting that panic, not actually yelling a certain word. Theres some good points but this is a weak lecture in context of this series that has been overly well done.

[@CJ87317]

The military had been segregated since the Civil War. Wilson didn't segregate it. And much like the CW, in WWI the officers at the head of the AFAM units were white. Forgive me if I am wrong, but I do not believe there were any Black officers higher ranked than Captain.
I do agree some of the connections he tries to make throughout his lecture are stretches, or at least need some more context. Alas, it's a tough subject to try and fit into an hour.