Despite being a small group, Black Alaskans have a rich history that spans more than 100 years.
This history is the subject of a new book “Black Lives In Alaska: A History of African Americans within the Far Northwest“, written by Ian Hartman & David Reamer.
Hartman, a historian and author, says that while early Alaska history tends to focus on the Klondike Gold Rush and territorial days of Alaska, Black people lived in Alaska long before then.
Listen:
This transcript has been lightly edited to improve clarity.
Ian Hartman :You are not talking about Alaska being under U.S. rule until the 1860s or 70s. However, there was an Alaskan Black presence long before the treaty of purchase. This is something I believe people would be interested in. This has to do with whaling. When we look back at the high-stakes period of North Pacific whaling from the 1840s to the 1860s, ’50s and ’60s, as well as the ’70s to ’80s, there would have been a wide range of whaling crews. A large number of Black whalemen would have been among the whalers.
Wesley early: One of the most significant pieces of Black Alaskan history is the construction of the Alaska Highway by Black soldiers during World War II. Your book also highlights many other contributions made during that time period, such as the Aleutian Islands campaign. Could you speak a bit more about the soldiers at Adak and Attu?
Ian Hartman :Yeah. As you have pointed out, the Alaska-Canadian Highway has a significant presence of Black troops to help build it. There is another component, and that would have been the Aleutian Campaign. If we shift our gaze to the West, we will see that Black troops participated in this campaign, mainly in a logistical capacity. This is still a very segregated military. The troops who were there were mistreated. They were not provided with the same accommodations as their white counterparts. They were still key in the Japanese taking over the islands in 1942. They were also involved in the construction of runways and other infrastructure needed for the campaign.
Wesley Early How do you see the post-war experiences of Black Alaskans in comparison to those of black Americans living elsewhere?
Ian Hartman :What makes Alaska unique when we refer to the African American population? That, of all the visible minorities in Anchorage, and throughout Alaska, in the 20th Century, the largest is the Alaska Native population. Then, of course, there’s the Asian American and Pacific Islander population. This broader diversity has included the Black population. So when you write about Alaska’s Black population, it’s different than writing about Detroit or Chicago or Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Black population is the largest minority population. So I believe that when you talk about Alaska’s Black history, it is important to do so in harmony with other populations.
Wesley Early Could you tell us about your process of making sure your writings are reflective of the lived experiences of these communities?
Ian Hartman :When this project was started, it was intended to be a one-off project. It quickly became clear to me that this project has a rich history and deserves a much more thorough treatment. It took on a new life when I saw the extent of its history and the number of people who had contributed. At that moment, your concern or question becomes very important. How do you involve community stakeholders? How do you get elders to share their stories? So I believe that reaching out to people in the community has been a way to ensure that their stories are accurate and that they are heard. Oral history is very important for a project such as this. Instead of just reading newspapers to get a sense for what was written about people and not including those who lived that history in the book, it is important to include them. This is something I have really learned from this project. It’s almost collaborative and community-based. I don’t think it’s just about me looking through archives or writing about my experiences. That is the most important aspect of it. It’s about finding people who have contributed to this community and making sure their voices are heard.
Wesley early:You spoke a bit about some of the misconceptions surrounding Alaska exceptionalism and the history many people accept as Alaskan history. What would you say Alaskans are most surprised to learn about in your book?
Ian Hartman : I don’t know what to say. First, it is true that Alaska has a rich history of social mobilization. Also, Alaska is home to some of the same forms of racism and discrimination as other places. People aren’t just reactive, but active. They are community builders. It’s not just that people have to deal with racism or hostilities all the time, but that they are actively building community and resisting them. This is a very important part of Alaska’s history that may not have been represented if we only look at the “great men”, right? The legislator leaders, those who were responsible to the statehood movement. There’s another history to Alaska. It’s not about the people, it’s about the diverse communities. Sometimes we forget that our history is shaped by this diversity.
