African Americans and the ALCAN Highway September 7 2021

Christine and Dennis McClure, co-authors of We Fought the Road and A Different Race: World War II, the Alaska Highway, Racism and a Court Martial presented a program entitled African-Americans and the ALCAN Highway in September of 2021. After the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese, Alaska was considered vulnerable and no good roads existed to transport materials and personnel to defend it. The program discusses the experience specifically of the 97th Engineers, one of the three African-American regiments tasked with building the highway during 1942. These soldiers faced terrible hardships and systemic racism in their efforts to produce vital infrastructure for the Allies. The McClures describe the adventures they had in researching the soldiers’ experiences as well as telling the soldiers’ story.
Dedicated to the memory of Dennis McClure 1948-2021