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In 1913 the New York State Legislature passed An Act to Amend the Military Law, in Relation to the Organization and Equipment of a Colored Regiment of Infantry in the City of New York, creating an African American National Guard unit, later known as the “Harlem Hell Fighters.” The regiment played a crucial role in World War I. During the German spring offensive of 1918, the Harlem Hell Fighters were often the only regiment between the Germans and Paris, France. The New York law was a key legislative milestone in the struggle for African Americans to have equal opportunities to serve in the armed forces.