"I Am Teaching Some of the Boys:" Chaplain Robert Boston Dokes and Army Testing of Black Soldiers in World War II

Autor/in	White, George, Jr.
Titel	"I Am Teaching Some of the Boys:" Chaplain Robert Boston Dokes and Army Testing of Black Soldiers in World War II
Quelle	In: Journal of Negro Education, 81 (2012) 3, S.200-217 (18 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0022-2984
Schlagwörter	High Stakes Tests; School Effectiveness; Testing; Youth; Teaching Methods; Standardized Tests; Elementary Secondary Education; African Americans; Clergy; Classification; Males; Military Personnel; War; Racial Discrimination; Civil Rights + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Schuleffizienz; Testdurchführung; Testen; Jugend; Jugendlicher; Jugendalter; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Standadised tests; Standardisierter Test; Afroamerikaner; Klerus; Classification system; Klassifikation; Klassifikationssystem; Male; Männliches Geschlecht; Krieg; Racial bias; Rassismus; Bürgerrechte; Grundrechte; Zivilrecht
Abstract	African Americans have served in the United States Armed Forces in nearly every conflict in the nation's history. However, the State--through official government policy, ad hoc decisions of military commanders, or statements by prominent civilians--was rarely comfortable with Black military service. Throughout most of American history, the various branches of the military practiced racial segregation against Black troops. Despite the fact that more than one million Blacks served in the military during World War II, the practice of segregation persisted and shunted the overwhelming majority of Black service personnel into non-combat service units. "I Am Teaching Some of the Boys" is based on the experiences of an African American minister-turned Army Chaplain, Reverend Robert Boston Dokes, who defied this tradition. During World War II, officials relied on the Army General Classification Test (AGCT) to determine which soldiers served in which capacities. The AGCT provided convenient cover for an institution that was determined to find a rationalization for racial discrimination. The AGCT was part of a larger assessment environment that controlled promotions, pay grades, and other benefits of military service. Moreover, the invocation of White privilege through testing, especially in a war with Nazi Germany, seemed as an important means of refuting Black claims to full citizenship rights. This article, based, on multi-archival research, will address the efforts of Chaplain Dokes and other reformers to help Black soldiers overcome these institutional limits. Dokes' experience with several Black battalions underscores the impact of the Army's testing regime on Black troops. (Contains 2 tables.) (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Howard University School of Education. 2900 Van Ness Street NW, Washington, DC 20008. Tel: 202-806-8120; Fax: 202-806-8434; e-mail: journalnegroed@gmail.com; Web site: http://www.journalnegroed.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10