ABOUT
From Gary, Indiana to the Persian Gulf and Beyond
Dr. Bryon L. Garner, a Veteran Studies scholar, recently published Black Veteranality: Military Service and the Illusion of Inclusive Patriotism (Routledge, 2025), which examines the intersection of race, patriotism, and military service. A U.S. Navy veteran, his academic work synthesizes veteran critical theory and critical race theory to analyze systemic inequities within military and veteran culture. His scholarship challenges conventional narratives of patriotism in America by centering marginalized veterans’ lived experiences, revealing how institutional practices within the armed services perpetuate racial disparities despite meritocratic ideals. Dr. Garner’s research informs policy discussions on veteran healthcare access and advocates for equitable recognition of diverse service members’ contributions to national identity. Through innovative blending of personal narrative and structural analysis, Dr. Garner advances understanding of veteran identity as a fluid construct shaped by race, gender, and societal perceptions of service. His work continues to reframe academic and public conversations about military service, veteran identity, and racial justice in America.
“Service taught me commitment. Scholarship taught me context. Together, they define my mission.”
His scholarship challenges conventional narratives of patriotism in America by centering marginalized veterans’ lived experiences, revealing how institutional practices within the armed services perpetuate racial disparities despite meritocratic ideals. Dr. Garner’s research informs policy discussions on veteran healthcare access and advocates for equitable recognition of diverse service members’ contributions to national identity. Through innovative blending of personal narrative and structural analysis, Dr. Garner advances understanding of veteran identity as a fluid construct shaped by race, gender, and societal perceptions of service. His work continues to reframe academic and public conversations about military service, veteran identity, and racial justice in America.
Introducing Black Veteranality
Black Veteranality names the tension between loyalty and harm.
It asks:
If the burden of a policy always falls on the same bodies, is that policy about readiness or about control?
Black Veteranality traces how this tension shows up in memory, benefits, and public narratives—in the ways the nation uses Black veterans as symbols of its goodness, even while denying them full belonging.
Why This Matters Now
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, the stories of Black veterans are not side notes they are central to the nation’s self-understanding.
Through research, teaching, and public engagement, I work to bring these stories to lightso that policy, memory, and justice can finally meet on equal ground.
