Black Men in Uniform: The Untold Story

Documentarian Emunah La-Paz gives us a 60-minute (too brief) overview of the experiences of Black men who have served in the U.S. military in her documentary Black Men in Uniform: The Untold Story.

The opening shows the devastating cultural effects slavery had on the growing Black population. Slaves had their culture taken away from them. Their interactions with one another were under the heavy hand of their owners, and they were even given an Anglicized version of Christianity. Yet even then, the faith that grew gave them hope of liberation and freedom one day.

After the Civil War, freedom was a mixed bag as new families became sharecroppers and poverty became a fact of life. Many newly minted African American men either joined the military, fighting in the Spanish-American War, among other conflicts, or abandoned their families altogether, leaving the women to raise a new generation of Black men.

“After the Civil War, freedom was a mixed bag as new families became sharecroppers and poverty became a fact of life.”

From here, La-Paz singles out specific men whose stories exemplify the struggle of being an American in the 1800s and beyond. Under the spotlight is Pata Seca, who was the prototypical enslaved man in Brazil and was used to breed over 200 children destined for slavery. Then there is Jack Johnson, who in the 1900s became a great boxer and broke the color barrier by insisting he could fight anyone and refusing to remain only among the “colored” classification. Of course, how can you not talk about Jackie Robinson? The film then goes on to document the brave Black men and women who have served this country from the turn of the century to the Vietnam War, only to have their legacy thrown in a box and put in storage.

What’s clear after watching Black Men in Uniform: The Untold Story is that 60 minutes only gives us the tip of the iceberg when it comes to history we know nothing about. In other words, this should be longer. The story of recently pardoned Jack Johnson is ripe for a cinematic refresh. Two parts: one about his upbringing and boxing, and another about his unjust criminal conviction.

What drew me most to La-Paz’s documentary was all the archival footage she dug up. I realize that scarcity is an issue and La-Paz does get “creative” at times, but she still tells a compelling story. The fact that there is film of Johnson fighting is incredible and worth the price of admission.

I honestly hope that La-Paz can continue to build upon the stories told in Black Men in Uniform: The Untold Story. I can only see great improvement and a deepening of our historical knowledge base as a result.

For screening information, visit the Black Men in Uniform: The Untold Story official website.