'An inferior technician'? African American signallers in the First World War.

This article focuses on the overlooked experiences of the 325th Field Signal Battalion, the first African American signal unit in the U.S. Army during the First World War. Drawing on archival sources, it argues that despite institutional racism, inadequate training, and discriminatory assessments by white military authorities, the battalion performed competently in technical communications roles critical to battlefield operations, notably during the Meuse-Argonne and Woëvre Plain campaigns. The battalion's existence and service challenged prevailing Jim Crow-era racial ideologies by demonstrating African Americans' capability in specialized military functions traditionally reserved for white soldiers. Post-war, many veterans faced continued discrimination but channeled their experiences into diverse forms of activism and leadership, contributing to the broader trajectory of the long civil rights movement.