World War II - Korean War Roundtable, Jerri R. Donohue, and Robert P. Madison. Robert P. Madison Collection. 1942. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.48858/.
This primary source documents the lasting impact of military service, as well as providing a closer look at the plight of many of the African Americans who served as buffalo soldiers in the 92nd Infantry. This interview with Robert P. Madison allows teachers and students to hear a first-hand account of what it was like to serve.
This personal narrative interview highlights the experience of Robert P. Madison during his time as a member of the United States’ military’s 92nd Infantry in Italy.
- During World War II, the military reactivated the 92nd Infantry.
- The United States’ military remained segregated with Caucasian soldiers holding rank over African American soldiers.
- In 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt highlighted The Four Freedoms of war.
- What can you hear in Robert P. Madison’s tone of voice?
- What does he say that surprises/doesn’t surprise you?
- What kind of limitations did African American soldiers who served in the 92nd Infantry in Italy have?
- Despite not experiencing access to equal rights or treatment at the time, what led to so many African Americans wanting to enlist and serve in World War II?
South Carolina ELA and Social Studies College and Career Standards and
Social Studies Deconstructed Skills
E: Evidence: Identify, interpret, and utilize different forms of evidence, including primary and secondary sources, used in an inquiry based study of history.
- This resource can help students understand the experiences of African American men who served in the 92nd Infantry. Students can use evidence from this resource to support their ideas. They can also use this resource to engage further with the narratives of young African American women of the time.
SS.5.3.E Analyze multiple perspectives on the economic, political, and social effects of World War II and its aftermath using primary and secondary sources.
- Teachers can focus on the aftermath of World War II for soldiers like Robert P. Madison by relying on his narrative of the prejudices he faced upon returning home from the war.
ELA.OE.2 Acquire, refine, and share knowledge through a variety of multimedia literacies to include written, oral, visual, digital, and interactive texts
- Students can learn how to access multimedia texts by reviewing and analyzing digital, oral, and written information on the experiences of Robert P. Madison and soldiers of the 92nd Infantry.
ELA.R.1: Use critical thinking skills to investigate, evaluate, and synthesize a variety of sources to obtain and refine knowledge.
- Students will evaluate supplemental resources that support further learning about the 92nd Infantry in Italy and Robert P. Madison, while using critical thinking skills to understand the soldiers’ experiences and the profound impact serving in the military can have on a person.
- As teachers seek to introduce the roles and impacts of African American soldiers during World War II, consider the duties and dignities of the 92nd Infantry using the National History Day Duties and Dignities lesson plan.
- After listening to his personal narrative, teachers can provide students with access to The New York Times article, which focuses on the isolation of African American soldiers at Ft. Huachuca in Arizona.
- To conclude the lesson on the 92nd in Italy: Robert P. Madison, teachers can share a newspaper clipping from the 92nd Infantry Magazine that highlights their impact during their seventeen months at war. Allow students to document their understanding of the impact of the soldiers’ tour by providing a GIST summary.
- Some may object to students learning about the United States’ military’s prejudice toward African Americans serving in World War II. This interview highlights the lengths to which the military went to isolate and segregate African American soldiers. Additionally, some might object to students learning about the unfair treatment African American soldiers faced upon returning home and looking for work.
Links to resources for approaching those topics
- Teachers can use these resources to support a learning environment that exposes students to significant historical events that may include sensitive topics such as inequality, discrimination, and racism: 10 Ways Teachers Can Fight Racism and Teach Tolerance and What Antiracist Language Teachers Do.
- Robert P. Madison image - Students can view this early image of the young Howard University engineering student and First Lieutenant.
- A. William Perry Collection - Perry served in World War II from 1939–1945. On his tenth day of service, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, and Perry “was shipped off to Alabama for the first of many postings in the racially tense South.”
- World War II - Korean War Roundtable, A. William Perry, and Jerri R. Donohue. A. William Perry Collection. 1942. Personal Narrative. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.51117/.
- Buffalo Soldiers Collection: This collection is more extensive and has even more detailed artifacts for teachers to use.
- Buffalo Soldiers Legend and Legacy: The National Museum of African American History and Culture has extensive primary sources and collections to teach this topic in even more detail.
- Black Volunteer Infantry Platoons in World War II: The National World War II Museum in New Orleans, LA, has stories and accounts on their website from Buffalo Soldiers.
- The Buffalo: 92nd Infantry Division’s Weekly Newspaper during World War II: This resource provides first-hand accounts from The Buffalo newspaper during war.