<I>The Colored Man is No Slacker</I>
date: label: Date
content: 1918
name: label: Printed by
content: E.G. Renesch, American
notes: label: Caption
content: In this chromolithograph, a World War I infantryman bids farewell to his sweetheart while his comrades march carrying their nation's flag. Despite conflicting opinions on the war, and segregation and prejudice in the military, more then 350,000 African Americans served in World War I, soundly confirming the slogan on this military recruitment poster: "The Colored Man Is No Slacker."
label: Caption
content: Though the slogan prevailed, many Black men were drafted and had no choice but to serve. In 1917, 36 percent of African Americans were placed in the highest draft category (Class I) compared to 24 percent of white men. By war’s end, the military had inducted approximately 33 percent of Black draft registrants compared to roughly 25 percent of whites. Paradoxically, about half of all Black World War I soldiers served stateside, largely as laborers in uniform, with little hope of receiving combat training and deploying to France.
label: Description
content: A chromolithograph of a soldier in a World War I uniform holding the hand of a woman in a blue dress. In the background troops are marching away. One of the troops is holding an American flag. "The Colored Man is No Slacker" is printed at the bottom center.
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: Art
label: Topic
content: Military
label: Topic
content: Segregation
label: Topic
content: U.S. History, 1865-1921
label: Topic
content: World War I
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Memorabilia and Ephemera - Political and Activist Ephemera
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2008.2.3
objectType: label: Type
content: chromolithographs
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Public domain
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: lithographic ink on paper
label: Dimensions
content: H x W: 19 11/16 x 15 13/16 in. (50 x 40.2 cm)