(Washington) The American army announced Monday that it would overturn the “unjust” convictions of 110 African-American soldiers, decided by a court martial after violence in Texas in 1917.
The soldiers, who were guarding a military camp under construction, took up arms on August 23 after months of racial discrimination and attacks, and entered the city of Houston, where 19 people, mostly white, were killed during clashes.
The army later convicted 110 African-American soldiers for the violence and 19 of them were executed, in what the army called the largest mass execution of American soldiers.
“After a thorough review, the commission concluded that these soldiers were wrongly treated because of their race and did not receive fair trials,” Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said in a statement. .
A senior Pentagon official, Gabe Camarillo, added during a ceremony in Houston, where the names of the soldiers were announced, the establishment of a compensation mechanism for the families of the condemned soldiers, who were deprived of the pension due to them.
By overturning their convictions and awarding honorable compensation, the military is acknowledging its past mistakes and setting the record straight.
Christine Wormut, Secretary of the Army
Racial segregation towards black American soldiers was very significant, with them serving in units separated by skin color until 1948 and an executive order from President Harry Truman.
In addition to direct discrimination against black soldiers, many military bases were named after pro-slavery officers who fought for the Confederate States of America, defeated in the Civil War between 1861 and 1865.
Late last month, the United States changed the name of the last of nine bases that honored these figures, marking the culmination of a years-long effort to rename the installations.