Rise to Command: Black Military Officers' Stories of Survival and Leadership from World War II through the Cold War

An intimate view of the triumphs and challenges experienced by Black officers in the twentieth century.

Rise to Command is a social history told in the words of seventeen Black military officers who grew up in the Jim Crow era and served in the US military. The officers speak candidly about their careers and struggles and the important lessons they learned from their communities, which helped them succeed.

Black Americans in the armed forces fought on two fronts: one against America’s externa...