African Americans have served in the United States Armed Forces in nearly every conflict in the nation's history. However, the State--through official government policy, ad hoc decisions of military commanders, or statements by prominent civilians--was rarely comfortable with Black military service. Throughout most of American history, the various branches of the military practiced racial segregation against Black troops. Despite the fact that more than one million Blacks served in the military during World War II, the practice of segregation persisted and shunted the overwhelming majority of Black service personnel into non-combat service units. "I Am Teaching Some of the Boys" is based on the experiences of an African American minister-turned Army Chaplain, Reverend Robert Boston Dokes, who defied this tradition. During World War II, officials relied on the Army General Classification Test (AGCT) to determine which soldiers served in which capacities. The AGCT provided convenient cover for an institution that was determined to find a rationalization for racial discrimination. The AGCT was part of a larger assessment environment that controlled promotions, pay grades, and other benefits of military service. Moreover, the invocation of White privilege through testing, especially in a war with Nazi Germany, seemed as an important means of refuting Black claims to full citizenship rights. This article, based, on multi-archival research, will address the efforts of Chaplain Dokes and other reformers to help Black soldiers overcome these institutional limits. Dokes' experience with several Black battalions underscores the impact of the Army's testing regime on Black troops. (Contains 2 tables.)