History of Fort Des Moines

In May 1917, the United States opens the very first Officers Training Camp for Black men in military history. The location – Fort Des Moines. Over the next six months, 1,200 Black men are trained to lead segregated commands in World War I, all the while knowing that their success or failure as leaders will be used by others as evidence of the abilities of their race. In this presentation, participants will learn about the experiences of these men, by closely examining one man, perhaps the most famous graduate of Fort Des Moines – Charles Hamilton Houston. By following his story, we see not only how these men shaped the United States military, but the Civil Rights movement as a whole.