While browsing The Crisis for interesting pieces relating to Keene's writing on African American pride supporting the war effort, I stumbled upon an editorial in the September 1918 edition, entitled "Our Special Grievances," addressing comments and concerns about an editorial from the July edition, entitled "Close Ranks." Apparently, some of the readers read "Close Ranks" as a change in position from the NAACP and The Crisis to prioritizing the war effort over fighting for African American rights. However, the Crisis editor who penned "Our Special Grievances" insists that they have done no such thing (216). This falls in line with Keene's observation that participation in the war effort was seen as a way to further the civil rights movement (207). Keene further argues that this enthusiasm could later be used for leverage in the post-war civil rights discussion (209), as it would be easier to fight for equality if it was widespread knowledge that the "Colored Man Is No Slacker," as one of the propaganda posters Keene points to so elequently states (225). This enthusiasm in support of the war effort and prioritization of civil rights, according to the editor of The Crisis, are linked, highlighting that "any man or race that seeks to turn his country's tragic predicament to his own personal gain is fatally cheating himself" (216). This editorial ends with "The Crisis says, first your Country, then your Rights" (217), stressing greatly that this is not an either/or situation. I can't help but be kind of impressed with the forethought going into this public support for the war effort. With the gift of hindsight, and the distance being American provides to WWI, being this staunchly supportive of the war seems foolhardy. However, the potential to flip this support in the favor of the African American community is hard to ignore, even in hindsight. It reminds me of the way politicians twist and take advantage of others' support for the invasion of Iraq against them, and The Crisis editors display some incredible forsight by getting on the war effort bandwagon and supporting the United States the way they did.