Long before Wakanda or the raised fists of the Black Power movement, the 761st Tank Battalion wore a sleek black panther on their uniforms and lived by the motto "Come Out Fighting."
Composed of Black soldiers who were told they could do everything but fight, the 761st earned its reputation in combat during World War II. The 761st had completed over two years of intensive tank training at Fort Hood.
Racist commanders aside, combat called them to Normandy in 1944. They fought for 183 consecutive days in four major campaigns across six countries, liberating towns and American POWs, earning seven Silver Stars, 246 Purple Hearts, and a Congressional Medal of Honor.
Back in the U.S. after the war, these heroes were met with skepticism, derision, and outright hatred. They had risked their lives for their country, only to return home to the racist status quo of Jim Crow. Their valor wasn't formally recognized until 1978. Even then, it was just an afterthought.
The cultural significance of the 761 was strategically and intentionally buried. It's the playbook: Take what Black people build, rename it, reframe it,then erase the source. The U.S. likes to pretend we never existed. Our names are written out, and our victories are delayed. Reclaiming these stories, we write our names and history back in.