Inside Buffalo

Filmmaker Fred Kuwornu's Inside Buffalo showcases World War II's 92nd Buffalo Soldiers Division, comprised of African American soldiers trained in the South and sent to fight in Italy. Kuwornu, who is African Italian, traces the history of blacks in the U.S. military from the Civil War through both world wars, contrasting their military obligations as citizens with the discrimination and persecution they faced in daily life. Inspired while working as an assistant on Spike Lee's 2008 feature Miracle at St. Anna, based on the novel by James McBride, Kuwornu interviewed McBride, three actors from Lee's film, several veterans of the 92nd, and Italians who knew or fought alongside the men. Combining excerpts from these extensive conversations, newsreel footage, archival photographs (including images of lynchings in an opening sequence), stills from the 2008 movie, and a sparing use of re-enactment, Inside Buffalo tells the story of the 92nd, covering recruitment and training, the forging of bonds with Italians who had never seen blacks before, and key battles and operations on the ground. The vets note the racist policies of the time (blacks could not command whites, and were considered more expendable in the field), and recall the segregation they faced upon returning home after three years of service. Civil rights leaders contribute observations, and the film notes positive changes in the intervening decades, concluding with footage of then-President Bill Clinton awarding a long-delayed Medal of Honor in 1997 to 92nd Division officer Vernon Baker. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (M. Puffer-Rothenberg)