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Podcast: Today In History with The Retrospectors
Episode: America's First Black General
Description: Benjamin O. Davis, Sr. became the first African-American general in the US Army on 25th October, 1940 - despite facing opposition from those who saw his appointment as political opportunism, whilst Roosevelt wooed the ‘negro vote’.Despite facing racial discrimination throughout his career, Davis had a deep connection to the military, serving in various roles and campaigns, including the Spanish American War, and had been mentored by Lieutenant Charles Young, the only other black officer at the time. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain why Davis’s date of birth is a questio...