They Returned Fighting: World War I, Disillusionment, and the Remaking of African-American Political Life in New York City

Author

• Michael Frank, CUNY Hunter CollegeFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-1-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

History

First Advisor

Jonathan Rosenberg

Second Advisor

Jill Rosenthal

Academic Program Adviser

Elidor Mehilli

Abstract

They Returned Fighting examines how Black New Yorkers used World War I service, wartime activism, and postwar protest to press claims to citizenship and democracy, even as racial violence, discrimination, and contested public memory exposed the limits of that belonging in New York City and the United States.

Recommended Citation

Frank, Michael, "They Returned Fighting: World War I, Disillusionment, and the Remaking of African-American Political Life in New York City" (2026). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/hc_sas_etds/1460