The Golden Thirteen: How Black Men Won the Right to Wear Navy Gold

by Dan Goldberg Narrated by Sam Manual

Overview

The inspiring story of the 13 courageous Black men who integrated the U.S. Navy during World War II-leading desegregation efforts across America and anticipating the civil rights movement.

Featuring previously unpublished material from the U.S. Navy, this little-known history of forgotten civil rights heroes uncovers the racism within the military and the fight to serve.

Through oral histories and original interviews with surviving family members, Dan Goldberg brings thirteen forgotten heroes away from the margins of history and into the spotlight. He reveals the opposition these men faced: the racist pseudo-science, the regular condescension, the repeated epithets, the verbal abuse and even violence. Despite these immense challenges, the Golden Thirteen persisted-understanding the power of integration, the opportunities for black Americans if they succeeded, and the consequences if they failed.

Until 1942, black men in the Navy could hold jobs only as cleaners and cooks. The Navy reluctantly decided to select the first black men to undergo officer training in 1944, after enormous pressure from ordinary citizens and civil rights leaders. These men, segregated and sworn to secrecy, worked harder than they ever had in their lives and ultimately passed their exams with the highest average of any class in Navy history.

In March 1944, these sailors became officers, the first black men to wear the gold stripes. Yet even then, their fight wasn't over: white men refused to salute them, refused to eat at their table, and refused to accept that black men could be superior to them in rank. Still, the Golden Thirteen persevered, determined to hold their heads high and set an example that would inspire generations to come.

In the vein of Hidden Figures, The Golden Thirteen reveals the contributions of heroes who were previously lost to history.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

[An] inspiring story. . . . Goldberg delivers a gripping account of the brutal two-month accelerated course taught by mostly white officers, who often made it clear they hoped the men would fail. . . . Revealing accounts of highly admirable men working diligently within an unedifying episode in American history.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Journalist Goldberg debuts with a carefully documented chronicle of efforts to fully integrate the US Navy during WWII. . . . Goldberg skillfully interweaves his exhaustive account of the pressure campaign for equality with profiles of the individual sailors, showcasing their remarkable equanimity in the face of discrimination. This stirring portrait shines a well-deserved spotlight on a little-known victory in the fight for civil rights.”
—Publishers Weekly

“[Goldberg] shares fresh interviews and employs robust research to add clarity and depth to the vital history of some of the first black naval officers during World War II. Goldberg’s research and analysis are rigorous, responsible, and fair in his assessment of the disappointing military and political leaders as well as of the brave visionary members of the media, military, and government . . . . Goldberg shares new and important information mined from the digital archives of the Black press of the 1940s. . . . Goldberg does a masterful job of revealing the inspiring stories of resilience and character exhibited by the talented men he wrote about. . . . I recommend Dan Goldberg’s fine book.”
—Commander Jim Jackson, US Navy (Retired), Proceedings

“The Golden Thirteen is the book all Americans need to read. This is a must-read for anyone interested in race, service, heroism, the civil rights movement, and the power of a few brave men to change the course of American history.”
—Christina M. Greer, author of Black Ethnics

“Thanks to the research and writing skills of Dan Goldberg, no more will they be forgotten.”
—Arthur Browne, author of One Righteous Man

“Deeply researched and very well written, Dan Goldberg’s work offers a long overdue homage to the first black officers commissioned in a white man’s navy.”
—Richard A. Serrano, author of Summoned at Midnight

“These heroes were all but forgotten. Until now.”
—Linda Hervieux, author of Forgotten: The Untold Story of D-Day’s Black Heroes, at Home and at War

“Using the oral history interviews of Golden Thirteen members as a springboard, author Dan Goldberg has done an impressive amount of additional research. The result is that his well-written book provides additional details about the men themselves. Even more importantly, the account paints a vivid portrait of the deep-seated racism that afflicted the Navy and the nation at large during the 1940s. That backdrop gives needed context to appreciate the achievements of the thirteen men in overcoming age-old obstacles to realizing true democracy. They constituted a remarkable group of pioneers who opened doors for the generations of African American naval officers that have followed.”
—Paul Stillwell, US Navy Officer (Ret.), historian

Kirkus Reviews

2020-02-17
The moving story of the Navy’s first black commissioned officers.

Politico journalist Goldberg reminds readers that large numbers of blacks fought in the Revolutionary and Civil wars, but the triumph of Jim Crow after 1900 led to them being phased out. By 1932, blacks made up only 441 of 81,000 Navy men, all working menial jobs. “By the summer of 1940,” writes the author, “discrimination in the Army and Navy ‘cut deeper into Negro feelings than employment discrimination,’ and had replaced lynching as the chief political priority of the black community.” Their newspapers and activists pointed out the hypocrisy of fighting for freedom in a nation where they were denied it. In 1942, responding to political pressure, President Franklin Roosevelt ordered reluctant Navy officials to train blacks for better jobs. Goldberg tells his inspiring story through the lives of 16 candidates who joined that year and trained in entirely segregated facilities. They worked at routine jobs within the U.S. until December 1943, when they were flabbergasted to learn that they were chosen for officer training. Goldberg delivers a gripping account of the brutal two-month accelerated course taught by mostly white officers, who often made it clear they hoped the men would fail. “The men lived like lab mice caged for experimentation,” writes the author. Knowing what was at stake, they studied obsessively, and everyone passed with “a collective 3.89 out of 4.0, the highest average of any class in Navy history.” The white pass rate was 75%, so, without explanation, the Navy commissioned only 13 of the men. Forbidden from commanding whites, most supervised black work details, and discrimination continued. Many white sailors refused to salute, and officers’ clubs sometimes emptied when black officers entered. Yet, Goldberg emphasizes, the pressure to end segregation persisted. By the time of Harry Truman’s 1948 order integrating the armed forces, blacks and whites were working together on many ships.

Revealing accounts of highly admirable men working diligently within an unedifying episode in American history.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940177173474
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	05/19/2020
Edition description:	Unabridged

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