Black Veteranality

How does military service collide with Black identity in a racially stratified America? Black Veteranality is an examination of the intersection of race, patriotism, and military service from the perspective of Black veterans, offering a robust framework for reimagining American patriotism and reframing veteran identity. Black veteranality emerges through an interdisciplinary synthesis of W.E.B. DuBois foundational concept of double-consciousnessthe psychological duality Black Americans experience when negotiating racialized identity formationsand Veteran Critical Theorys structural analysis of institutional power dynamics shaping military service members. Through critical ethnography and narrative interviews, this conceptual framework interrogates monolithic veteran narratives by documenting how Black servicemembers simultaneously embody patriotic ideals through military service while confronting systemic racisms psychological toll and navigate what critical race scholars term the White gazea hegemonic social mechanism that perpetuates exclusion through perpetual scrutiny of Black veterans cultural authenticity and national belonging. Essential reading for scholars of African American studies, American Studies, Veteran Studies, and military professions, this work bridges academia and activism, proving true loyalty lies in confronting systemic inequities.