The University of Baltimore School of Law had the extraordinary honor of hosting acclaimed author and journalist Wil Haygood for a moving conversation about his new book, The War Within a War: The Black Struggle in Vietnam and at Home.
Just two days after its release — and as the second stop on his national book tour — Wil Haygood chose UBalt Law as a place to engage in dialogue about history, justice, patriotism, and the unfinished struggle for equality.
In a conversation moderated by Dean LaVonda Reed, Wil Haygood engaged a full room in a powerful discussion examining the Vietnam War as both a military conflict abroad and a parallel struggle for civil rights at home, exploring the distinct experiences of Black service members and the tension between patriotism and racism.
In The War Within a War, Haygood reframes the Vietnam era, exploring how Black Americans fought for freedom abroad while simultaneously demanding dignity and civil rights at home. Through the stories of soldiers, nurses, journalists, officers, families, and cultural figures, he captures a generation caught between parallel battles — one in Southeast Asia and another in America’s streets, courtrooms, and communities.
The conversation carried special meaning for Dean Reed. “For me, this book carries a personal connection,” she shared. “My father served in the Vietnam War and was interviewed as part of this project. To see his experiences — and the experiences of so many Black servicemen — thoughtfully documented and placed within the broader narrative of our nation’s history is profoundly meaningful.”
Wil Haygood has long been called “the preeminent chronicler of the Black experience in America.” Yesterday reminded us why. His work challenges us to confront contradiction, to sit with complexity, and to understand that history is never distant — it lives in our families, our institutions, and our ongoing pursuit of justice.
UBalt Law continues to serve as a convener of meaningful conversations that honor
service, truth, scholarship, and community.