--- title: Black History Month and World War I: Exclusive PBS Clip description: This clip from the upcoming PBS series 'The Great War' explores how music played a surprising role in recruiting African-American soldiers canonical: https://time.com/4681227/great-war-clip-black-history-month/ author: Lily Rothman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-02-28T18:00:23.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-07T07:18:42.518Z article:section: History og:title: The Surprising Way African-American Soldiers Were Recruited for World War I og:description: An exclusive clip from the upcoming documentary series 'The Great War' og:url: https://time.com/4681227/great-war-clip-black-history-month/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3a945e4d0247d8e7/6988bbe22dce0188529ec699/screen-shot-2017-02-24-at-3-14-58-pm.png?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1877 og:image:height: 1056 og:image:alt: Great War still og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Surprising Way African-American Soldiers Were Recruited for World War I twitter:description: An exclusive clip from the upcoming documentary series 'The Great War' twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3a945e4d0247d8e7/6988bbe22dce0188529ec699/screen-shot-2017-02-24-at-3-14-58-pm.png?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The Surprising Way African-American Soldiers Were Recruited for World War I > Sponsored content. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-sub-2026q3/newsletters?i=92a31705-8c75-4731-a4d1-9902a3038b4b&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1) * TIME Subscriptions: [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-sub-2026q3/subscribe?i=92a31705-8c75-4731-a4d1-9902a3038b4b&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Exclusive Clip: The Great War [Watch (HLS stream): Exclusive Clip: The Great War](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/KnlhOU9Y.m3u8) (4:00)  _Published 2017-02-28. See an exclusive clip from the new PBS American Experience series about World War I_  by [Lily Rothman](https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/)  ## Lily Rothman Rothman is managing editor at TIME. Feb 28, 2017 6:00 PM UTC See an exclusive clip from the new PBS American Experience series about World War I  by [Lily Rothman](https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/)  ## Lily Rothman Rothman is managing editor at TIME. Feb 28, 2017 6:00 PM UTC When the new PBS documentary series _The Great War_ arrives this April to mark the 100-year [anniversary](http://time.com/3905567/world-war-i-medal-honor/) of the [U.S. entry into World War I](http://time.com/4673502/zimmermann-telegram-100/) on April 6, 1917, it will aim to tell the story of the American experience of the war, from the biggest moments to more obscure slices of history. One of those slices is seen here, in the first exclusive clip released from the film, and it’s a fitting reminder as [Black History Month](http://time.com/4197928/history-black-history-month/) comes to a close of the obstacles faced and achievements recorded by African-Americans during that pivotal period of American history. As the U.S. prepared to join in on a conflict that had previously been confined largely to the other side of the world, leaders within the African-American community in Harlem petitioned for the U.S. military to start a new regiment within the segregated armed forces so that black Americans could prove their strength and love of country just like their white fellow citizens could. The result was the African-American 15th National Guard — with the caveat that the unit had to raise its own money for equipment and serve under the command of a white officer. Despite the conditions placed on the 15th National Guard (later re-designated the 369th Infantry Regiment, known as the “Harlem Hellfighters”), some of the biggest names around signed up, like bandleader James Reese Europe, who would help form the regimental band for the unit. And, after the declaration of war came, the group saw record recruits — thanks in part to the unconventional recruiting technique seen in this clip, using music to draw young men to the recruiting office. TIME revisited the story in 1941, when the coming of World War II made the military band newly relevant: --- > “” --- The three-part series [_The Great War_](http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/great-war/?utm%5Fsource=promourl&utm%5Fmedium=direct&utm%5Fcampaign=thegreatwar%5F2017)premieres on April 10. ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] While newly drafted soldiers stabbed dummies with bayonets in camps all across the country, another group of recruits practiced their drill steps on the streets of Harlem. [ APPLAUSE ] The Africa- American 15th National Guard was mustered into service in July of 1917. Community leaders in Harlem had lobbied for the creation of an all black regiment for years. A petition to state legislature of New York The legislator comes back and says, okay, but you have to raise the money to equip the unit and you also have to accept white officers. A prominent lawyer named William Hayward took command and set about recruiting to get the regiment up to full strength. Heyward was going to be able to command any other regiment, that's for sure. In fact, many of the officers in the 15th New York, who were white, could not get high ranking officer positions in other units. The 15th was this sort- of place of last resort for many of these rich, white men The New York 15th was forced to beg for equipment from other units and train in the backyards and empty lots of Harlem. Still the regiment was able to attract some of the black communities prominent athletes and entertainers, including the celebrated ragtime conductor and band leader James Reese Europe. James Reese Europe is an imminent musician in New York. Starts a orchestra, it's the first black orchestra to play at Carnegie Hall. But the 15th New York National Guard is formed though. He decides that he wants to join for the same reason that a number of African- American men join. They see it as this potent symbol of African- American manhood. [ MUSIC ] Our race will never amount to anything unless there are strong organizations of men who stand for something in the community. It will build up the moral And physical negro manhood of Harlem. But to accomplish these results, the best men in the community must get in the move. [ MUSIC ] Europe convinced his writing partner, Noble Sissel, to enlist. When Hayward asked them to form a regimental band, The two took up the challenge. The band is just huge. Europe argues for, at minimum, forty men, I think gets a few more than that. Realises that he needs a stronger wind section, so goes down, Down to Puerto Rico, and recruit Afro- Peurto Rican clarinettists mostly, but, trombone players as well. So, he's got this crazy, super American Mix of the black diaspora, Spanish speakers, English speakers, folks with a nutty Southern dialect all wrapped up. Wilson's declaration of war brought a new urgency to the New York 15th mission. By the summer of 1917, Noble Sissle watched as the regiment began to attract recruits in record numbers. Our daily procedure was to put the band on top of the bus and ride down in the colored section. Then, we would start the band playing, the Memphis Blues Once we got the bus crowded we would make a beeline for the recruiting office. A pen put in our hands and before they were aware of what was going on they had raised their right hand and found themselves jazz time members of Uncle Samuel's army. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4681227/great-war-clip-black-history-month/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4681227/great-war-clip-black-history-month/"},"headline":"The Surprising Way African-American Soldiers Were Recruited for World War I","datePublished":"2017-02-28T18:00:23.000Z","dateModified":"2026-10-07T07:18:42.518Z","description":"An exclusive clip from the upcoming documentary series The Great War","url":"https://time.com/4681227/great-war-clip-black-history-month/","keywords":["conflict","movies","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3a945e4d0247d8e7/6988bbe22dce0188529ec699/screen-shot-2017-02-24-at-3-14-58-pm.png?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Lily Rothman","jobTitle":"Rothman is managing editor at TIME.","url":"https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/"}],"articleSection":"History","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3a945e4d0247d8e7/6988bbe22dce0188529ec699/screen-shot-2017-02-24-at-3-14-58-pm.png?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Great War still","caption":"","creditText":"A still from PBS American Experience's 'The Great War'","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/history/","name":"History"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/conflict/","name":"conflict"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4681227/great-war-clip-black-history-month/","name":"The Surprising Way African-American Soldiers Were Recruited for World War I"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Exclusive Clip: The Great War","description":"See an exclusive clip from the new PBS American Experience series about World War I","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/KnlhOU9Y/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2017-02-28T17:43:55.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/KnlhOU9Y.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4681227/great-war-clip-black-history-month/","duration":"PT4M","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4681227/great-war-clip-black-history-month/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```