1. The Grand Union Flag was presented on December 3rd, 1775.
2. During the Revolutionary War, the American military attempted to bribe 3,000 slaves to fight, and in return, they would be awarded $50 and emancipation. The Americans decided not to follow through with that bargain, in fear that the black population would have a social revolution against them. [a]
3. The US Constitution was written deliberately to protect slavery without even using the word “slave”. The ones writing the document specifically avoided the word “recognizing that it would sully the document“. [a]
4. Because black families were tired of being torn apart, in the War of 1812, roughly 5,000 slaves decided to fight with the British armies in hopes of being freed. They fought against the country which enslaved them. [b]
5. Black people fought in wars and went back to being slaves afterwards. Broken promises for their blood. Noted: “Jackson ultimately secured the assistance of most with promises of freedom and equality that never fully appeared.” [c]
6. After 1812, racial tension was on the rise as white Americans feared that blacks would threaten them in larger, stronger groups. [d]
7. Slaves =  money. Once slavery would be gone, whites feared the loss of prosperity. “Over time, most took for granted that their prosperity, even their way of life, was
   inseparable from African slavery.” [d]
8. America, and many white American families became very prosperous because of slave trade and crops.
9. WWI 1915-1920. Blacks were stripped of right to vote, therefore disenfranchised by obstacles due to social and political oppression. [e]
10. “The southern justice system systematically denied them equal protection under the law and condoned the practice of vigilante mob violence.” [e]
11. April 2nd, 1917. Congress declared that “The world must be made safe for democracy”, leading many blacks to believe this war could somehow bring about true democracy and equal rights home to America. [e]
12. Black soldiers expected to fight for freedoms and thought by sacrificing their lives and demonstrating patriotism, white Americans would finally see them as equal citizens.
13.  And so effort was made. “Colored folks should be patriotic,” the Richmond Planet insisted. “Do not let us be chargeable with being disloyal to the flag.” [e]
14. July 2nd, 1917. Racial tensions broke out, leaving 125 blacks dead and zero arrests.
15. “The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) responded by holding a Silent Protest Parade in New York City on July 28, 1917. ” [e]
16. One month later, blacks retaliated, killing 16 white civilians and law enforcement. The ones who were caught were given life sentences or were hung from trees. Any black person who served in the US military was buried in an unmarked grave.
17. Black military service men were greatly treated unfairly. They were given subpar clothing, food and shelter. They were not offered basic healthcare or education outside of service work. [e]
18. During the war, white army officers lied about the black men who served, claiming they were rapists to the French civilians. Many black service men were discharged unjustly. [e]
19. ” African-American officers were particularly singled out for racist treatment because of their status. Viewed as a threat to white authority, many were unjustly transferred out of the division and others were court-martialed on bogus charges. ” [e]
20. The French people, unlike Americans, treated the black service men kindly and fairly.
21. 1919. After returning from war, there was a great spark of violence–directly at black–and the number of lynching increased abundantly. Most of the lynchings were soldiers who fought on behalf of America. [e]
22. “In October 1919, whites in Elaine, Arkansas, massacred hundreds of black people in response to the efforts of sharecroppers to organize themselves. ” [e]
23. 1925. “Blacks are mentally inferior, by nature subservient, and cowards in the face of danger. They are therefore unfit for combat.” US Army War College.
24. WWII 1942. Propaganda was used to sell racial harmony among blacks.
25. June 13th, 1942. “The Double V Campaign became a symbol of pride for Black Americans during a time when Jim Crows laws were prevalent and so many of the rights that soldiers fought for abroad were denied them at home.” [f]
26. 1965-69. Vietnam. “Selective Service regulations offered deferments for college attendance and a variety of essential civilian occupations that favored middle- and upper- class whites. The vast majority of draftees were poor, undereducated, and urban—blue-collar workers or unemployed.” [g]
27.  1968. Navy base at Cam Ranh Bay. “white sailors donned Ku Klux Klan-like outfits, burned crosses, and raised the Confederate flag.” [g]
28. 2012. “White supremacists, neo-Nazis and skinhead groups encourage followers to enlist in the Army and Marine Corps to acquire the skills to overthrow what some call the ZOG – the Zionist Occupation Government. Get in, get trained and get out to brace for the coming race war.” [h]
29. 2017.  Black service members are two times more likely than whites to be punished or face a court martial or other military discipline. “These disparities are particularly striking for black service members, who face military justice or disciplinary action at much higher rates than white service members in every service branch. In fact, the size of the disparity between white and black service members’ military justice involvement has remained consistent over the years, and, in the case of the Air Force and Marine Corps, has increased.” [i]
30. On patriotism. “Whereas a healthy love of country would nurture a sense of unity and common values in an atmosphere of intelligence and maturity, modern American patriotism has instead become a vehicle for division and aggression.” [j]

Further readings:

On women and sexual assault:

1. “The power differential between men and women in the military,
due to its male-dominated leadership and structure, plays an
important role in sexual misconduct. More traditional and
hyper-masculine beliefs and negative attitudes towards women
have been linked with acceptance and perpetration of sexual
harassment and assault.” [W1]

2. “Some countries have actively provided sex workers to US military personnel as a
token of friendship. The ability to rape and kill has been
viewed as an indication of power, and the military’s traditional
acceptance of violence as a valid method of achieving goals
may create an environment conducive to perpetrating behavior.” [W1]

3. “The Defense Department today released its Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military, which shows that service member reporting of sexual assault increased by about 10 percent in fiscal year 2017.” [W2]

4. ” Low reporting numbers usually mean that victims fear retaliation by their peers or superiors and don’t expect that their perpetrators will be held accountable by established systems of justice.” [W3]

On Latinos in US military:

1. “Yet many more Latinos have viewed military service as a route toward meaningful inclusion within a society that in years past had a hard time viewing them as real Americans.” [L1]

On homosexuality:

1. “In addition, the culture of homophobia in the military enhances the risk of
   sexual violence. Fear and stigma attached to being labeled or
   identified as homosexual are used as power and control tactics
   and often prevent victims of assault, particularly male victims,
   from reporting.” [W1]
2. A long history of key dates and other policies. [H1]

And still to come:

American Systems Vol. 2: The Police

American Systems Vol. 3: Schools and Education

American Systems Vol. 4: Prisons

American Systems Vol. 5: Healthcare

American Systems Vol. 6: Housing

American Systems Vol. 7: Wealth