The trailer for a news special sharing the widely overlooked and untold stories of the first Black marines has been released.
Source: OUR AMERICA: MISSION MONTFORD POINT’ / OUR AMERICA: MISSION MONTFORD POINT’
“Our America: Mission Montford Point” will detail the history of a historic military unit – who were never acknowledged until recently – and highlight the ongoing plight to find these Marines and/or their descendants in order to honor them with a Congressional Gold Medal.
Unbeknownst to many, the U.S. Marines were the last of the Armed Forces to allow Black men to join. Despite that, Black men came from far and wide and enlisted while staring down racism and discrimination and many of them served bravely in World War II’s Pacific Theater.
Sadly, history has largely overlooked the trailblazing bravery of the Montford Point Marines.
An official press release reports that there is no list of the approximately 20,000 men who trained at Montford Point, and it wasn’t until 2011 that the men were honored collectively with the Congressional Gold Medal – Congress’s highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions by individuals or institutions. Presently, an estimated 2,000 men have received the medal, leaving approximately 18,000 who are still due the honor.
Now they’ll also be acknowledged on television.
The one-hour documentary special will debut on ABC-owned stations 24/7 streaming platforms, and 32 connected TV apps across streaming platforms Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, and Hulu beginning Sept. 20.
Along with encouraging viewers to tune into the doc, there’s a push for the Black community to talk with their family members to see if their dad, granddad, uncle, etc was a Black Marine who served in the 1940s during WWII so that that family member may be verified and recognized with their just due.
Take a look at the trailer below.
Those who served – or family members of deceased Montford Point Marines – can learn more on ABC7/ouramerica.com.