The U.S. Army announced Monday that it would overturn the “unfair” convictions of 110 African-American soldiers handed down by a court-martial following violence in Texas in 1917.
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The soldiers guarding a military camp under construction took up arms on August 23 after months of racial discrimination and attacks and entered the city of Houston, where clashes killed 19 people, mostly white.
The Army later convicted 110 African-American soldiers for the violence and 19 of them were executed, in what the Army described as the largest mass execution of American soldiers.
“After a thorough review, the commission concluded that these soldiers were mistreated because of their race and did not receive a fair trial,” Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said in a statement.
A senior Pentagon official, Gabe Camarillo, during a ceremony in Houston announcing the names of the soldiers, added the establishment of a compensation mechanism for the families of the convicted soldiers who were deprived of the pensions to which they were entitled.
“By overturning his convictions and granting honorable reparations, the military is acknowledging its past mistakes and clarifying the situation,” said Christine Wormuth.
Racial segregation against black American soldiers was significant, as until 1948 and under the orders of President Harry Truman, they served in units segregated by their skin color.
In addition to direct discrimination against black soldiers, many military bases were named after pro-slavery officers who fought for the Confederate States of America, which was defeated in the Civil War between 1861 and 1865.
Late last month, the United States changed the name of the last of nine bases that honored these figures, marking the culmination of years of efforts to rename the facilities.