Ebony Doughboys member Kelly Washington displays his collection at the US Army National Museum at Ft. Belvoir, Va on 18 Feb 2016. The event also showcased the new book “African American Doctors of WWI” by W. Douglas Fisher and Joann H. Buckley.
Tag Archives: African Americans in WWI
Ebony Dough boys-WWI Reenactors-Veterans Day Parade-Dover Delaware
The Ebony Doughboys WWI Reenactors partnered with members of Cesar Rodney HS. JROTC at the Veterans Day Parade at Dover Delaware on November 7, 2015 to honor the veterans that served in the 93rd Infantry Division in WWI.
The 93rd Infantry Division was a segregated Infantry Division in WWI.
The Division included medal of honor winner’s Henry Johnson of New York, Freddie Stowers of South Carolina as well as Needham Roberts winner of the Croix De guerre from Trenton, NJ.
The 93rd Infantry Division was the Division of the Harlem Hellfighters and the Bloody Red Hand Division.
African American soldiers in WWI fought under French command. General Pershing gave the all black 92nd and 93rd Divisions to the French to satisfy the French Armies manpower shortages and to also satisfy the American High Command’s segregated policy towards black troops serving in combat.
The state of Delaware was the home of many African American soldiers that served in WWI. Ebony Doughboys and Cesar Rodney’s JROTC was proud to represent these heroes on veterans day.
Ebony Doughboys-WWI-Harlem Hellfighters
Ebony Doughboy member Algernon Ward will give a presentation on “The Harlem Hellfighters” at the Union League 140 South Broad St. Philadelphia, Pa. February 16, 2015 at 6 Pm. 
Affectionate known as Algie by friends and family Algie is Professionally employed at the NJ Department of Health Laboratories since 1982 where he became its first African-American Chemist in 1987. In 2003 Algernon Ward Jr. became the NJDHSS’ first African-American Research Scientist.
In his personal life, while pursuing twin passions of acting and history, Algie is a founding member of the 6th Regiment United States Colored Troops, Civil War Reenactors Inc., where he is the President and 1st Sergeant. The regiment expanded to include African-American Revolutionary War patriots where Algie portrays both a soldier of “The Black Regiment” the 1st Rhode Island Regiment and Black Joe Brown a soldier of Glover’s Marbleheaders. As a Continental Militiaman,
Algie can be seen in The History Channel’s series of “The Tech Effect of Washington Crossing The Delaware”. In the summer and fall of 2003 Algie was the Featured Reenactor in Part Four – “The Challenge To Freedom” as Senator Robert Smalls, South Carolina’s first African-American US Senator and Civil War hero, for the PBS Mini-Series Slavery and The Making of America aired on WNET-13 New York in November 2005.
Algie’s image appears in the NJDEP’s “Oh Freedom” traveling exhibit which highlights the fight for freedom on both sides of the Revolutionary War.
For the past 5 years in commemoration of Black History Month the 6th Regiment USCT presents a program entitled “Three Centuries of Black Soldiers” in collaboration with Trenton’s Old Barracks Museum and The Trenton Historical Society. The program exhibits the contributions of African-American military men over the entire span of American military history. Algie’s composed an engaging presentation focused on the history of the local “Black Doughboys” of World War I, many of whom were members of the famous 369th “Harlem Hellfighters” of the all black 93rd Division. His study of the regiment revealed a trove of information that could be lost in time if the reenactors of today didn’t make the effort to tell their stories.
To learn more about black combat troops in WWI click: www.ebonydoughboys.org