The phrase "Come Join Us, Brothers" appeared on a Civil War recruiting poster for Camp William Penn, site of the organization of several regiments of United States Colored Troops from 1863 to 1865. An original lithograph from the poster is among the many items on exhibit. Prominently featured is the regimental color of the 5th Regiment, U.S. Colored Heavy Artillery, a regiment formed in Mississippi in 1863 as infantry, seeing battle in Louisiana before being redisgnated as artillery.

Because black Americans have served in every major conflict of American history, this display covers the period form the American Revolution through Vietnam. It incudes a variety of artifacts from the museum collections, including a uniform coat worn by a major of the famed 54th Massachusetts Volunteers (the subject of the motion picture "Glory"), numerous artworks depicting the Arican-American soldier and a powder horn belonging to an African-American soldier who served at West Point during the American Revolution. The exhibition has been co-curated by David M.Reel and Michael J. McAfee, curators of art and history, respectively.

The exhibtion goes on view Monday and will remain open until June 3 in the Foyer Gallery located just within the main entrance to the museum.