A Single American Nation. When the First WorldWar began African-American leaders

A Single American Nation. When the First WorldWar began African-American leaders pressed the government toprovide black men the right to go to combat to prove their devotionto their country. Hoping that their service would lay a stake oncitizenship which the nation would have no choice but to honor theNew Negro of the 1920s adopted a more militant stance towardcivil rights. The civil rights struggle envisioned at the timehowever made few concrete gains. Discrimination anddisenfranchisement persisted.