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Offering homage to African Americans who have shouldered arms in defense of the United States from its War of Independence (1775-83) to the advent of the war on terrorism in 2001, freelance journalist Wright profiles the precarious balance historically maintained by blacks in the U.S. military. Using primarily military photos from the National Archives and the Library of Congress, Wright depicts African Americans' range of service, from the routine to the heroic, as they fought a two-front war: from within against America's bigoted practices and from without for America's birthright principles. The images more than the text articulate the saga of the military as the front line of the nation's race war as blacks, ambivalent about being simultaneously rebuffed and desperately encouraged to serve, risked their lives to assert their humanity and enjoy full citizenship in their unwavering defense of the United States.

Author Biography: Kai Wright is a freelance writer and journalist based in Washington, D.C. His work on Contemporary issues relevant to black communities around the world has appeared in Salon.com, the San Francisco Chronicle and the Village Voice, among other publications. He has been a Pew Fellow in International Journalism and a Woodrow Wilson Fellow in Public Policy and international Affairs, and is a former reporter for the Washington Blade newspaper.