{"product_id":"promises-of-citizenship-kathleen-m-german-9781496812353","title":"Promises of Citizenship: Film Recruitment of African Americans in World War II","description":"Since the earliest days of the nation, US citizenship has been linked to military service. Even though blacks fought and died in all American wars, their own freedom was usually restricted or denied. In many ways, World War II exposed this contradiction. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAs demand for manpower grew during the war, government officials and military leaders realized that the war could not be won without black support. To generate African American enthusiasm, the federal government turned to mass media. Several government films were produced and distributed, movies that have remained largely unexamined by scholars. Kathleen M. German delves into the dilemma of race and the federal government's attempts to appeal to black patriotism and pride even while postponing demands for equality and integration until victory was achieved. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eGerman's study intersects three disciplines: the history of the African American experience in World War II, the theory of documentary film, and the study of rhetoric. One of the main films of the war era, \u003ci\u003eThe Negro Soldier\u003c\/i\u003e, fractured the long tradition of degrading minstrel caricatures by presenting a more dignified public image of African Americans. Along with other government films, the narrative within \u003ci\u003eThe Negro Soldier\u003c\/i\u003e transformed the black volunteer into an able soldier. It included African Americans in the national mythology by retelling American history to recognize black participation. As German reveals, through this new narrative with more dignified images, \u003ci\u003eThe Negro Soldier\u003c\/i\u003e and other films performed rhetorical work by advancing the agenda of black citizenship.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Kathleen German\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1496812352\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781496812353\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University Press of Mississippi\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 06\/07\/2017\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 278\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.27lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.75d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eChoice\u003c\/i\u003e 03\/01\/2018","brand":"Kathleen German","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":44054805250303,"sku":"9781496812353","price":110.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_4a30d463-5efc-48ba-8d64-a2988765cc79.jpg?v=1685032099","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/promises-of-citizenship-kathleen-m-german-9781496812353","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}