Black Americans' fight for equality in the U.S. armed forces has been a rough road. At times, the Army has been a leader in driving change in the United States. In other instances, the institution has stood with "feet of clay." Charles Allen and John Nagl have studied the history of black soldiers throughout American history, and their work has led to a new elective course at the Army War College, a recent Joint Force Quarterly article and a number of presentations to the force. Their hope is to educate and inspire others to the recognition and gratitude owed generations of black soldiers who persevered through unjust treatment and segregation by a nation that they sought to defend.