The Medal of Honor was created during the American Civil War and is the highest military decoration presented by the United States government to a member of its armed forces. Recipients must have distinguished themselves at the risk of their own life above and beyond the call of duty in action against an enemy of the United States. Because of the nature of this medal, it is commonly presented posthumously.

Of the 3,525 Medals of Honor awarded , 97 have been awarded to 96 different African-American recipients.C. W. Hanna, African American recipients of the Medal of Honor, 3; Note: Hanna includes Clement Dees in his count, while this list does not, because Dees's medal was rescinded. Robert Augustus Sweeney is one of 19 men, and the only African American, to have been awarded two Medals of Honor.

A 1993 study commissioned by the United States Army investigated racial discrimination in the awarding of medals. At the time, no Medals of Honor had been awarded to black soldiers who served in World War II. After an exhaustive review of files, the study recommended that several black Distinguished Service Cross recipients be upgraded to the Medal of Honor. On January 13, 1997, President Bill Clinton awarded the Medal to seven African-American World War II veterans; of these, only Vernon Baker was still alive. On March 18, 2014, Melvin Morris, an African American Vietnam War veteran, was awarded the Medal of Honor following a review which recommended upgrading the Distinguished Service Cross he had originally earned for action in 1969. On October 17, 2018 John Canley an African-American U.S. Marine who fought in the Tet Offensive of the Vietnam War received The Medal of Honor 50 years after the heroism he displayed that earned him the Navy Cross.

19th century American Civil War Twenty-six African Americans earned the Medal of Honor during the American Civil War, including eight sailors of the Union Navy, fifteen soldiers of the United States Colored Troops, and three soldiers of other Army units. Fourteen African-American men earned the Medal for actions in the Battle of Chaffin's Farm, where a division of U.S. Colored Troops saw heavy action. Another four men, all sailors, earned their Medals at the Battle of Mobile Bay. William Harvey Carney was the first African American to perform an action for which a Medal of Honor was awarded, but Robert Blake was the first to actually receive the Medal (Blake's was issued in 1864, Carney did not receive his until 1900). It was common for Civil War Medals of Honor to be awarded decades after the conflict ended; in one case, Andrew Jackson Smith's Medal was not awarded until 2001, 137 years after the action in which he earned it. Smith's wait, caused by a missing battle report, is the second longest delay of the award for any recipient and the longest delay for an African American. President Obama awarded the Medal of Honor to Union Army First Lieutenant Alonzo Cushing for his actions at the Battle of Gettysburg in November 2014, making the 151-year delay it the longest between the action and receipt of the award.

Note: Notes in quotations are derived or are copied from the official Medal of Honor citation

ImageName Service Rank UnitPlace of actionDate of actionNotesNavyE-01LandsmanMattox Creek, Virginia"Participating with a boat crew in the clearing of Mattox Creek, L/man Anderson carried out his duties courageously in the face of a devastating fire which cut away half the oars, pierced the launch in many places and cut the barrel off a musket being fired at the enemy."ArmyE-01Private142nd New York Volunteer InfantrySecond Battle of Fort Fisher, North Carolina"Voluntarily advanced with the head of the column and cut down the palisading."ArmyE-01Private38th U.S. Colored Infantry Battle of Chaffin's Farm, Virginia"Among the first to enter the enemy's works; although wounded."ArmyE-08First Sergeant5th U.S. Colored InfantryBattle of Chaffin's Farm, Virginia"Took command of his company, all the officers having been killed or wounded, and gallantly led it."Navy0Sailor off Legareville in the Stono River, Johns Island, South Carolina"[I]n an engagement with the enemy on John's Island. Serving the rifle gun, Blake, an escaped slave, carried out his duties bravely throughout the engagement which resulted in the enemy's abandonment of positions, leaving a caisson and one gun behind."ArmyE-08First Sergeant5th U.S. Colored Infantry Battle of Chaffin's Farm, Virginia"Took command of his company, all the officers having been killed or wounded, and gallantly led it."NavyE-01LandsmanBattle of Mobile Bay, Alabama "[R]emained steadfast at his post and performed his duties in the powder division throughout the furious action which resulted in the surrender of the prize rebel ram Tennessee and in the damaging and destruction of batteries at Fort Morgan."NavyE-01Landsman Battle of Mobile Bay, Alabama"Knocked unconscious into the hold of the ship when an enemy shellburst fatally wounded a man on the ladder above him, Brown, upon regaining consciousness, promptly returned to the shell whip on the berth deck and zealously continued to perform his duties although 4 of the 6 men at this station had been either killed or wounded by the enemy's terrific fire."ArmyE-05Sergeant54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Battle of Fort Wagner, Morris Island, South Carolina"[G]rasped the flag, led the way to the parapet, and planted the colors thereon. When the troops fell back he brought off the flag, under a fierce fire in which he was twice severely wounded."ArmyE-04Corporal39th United States Colored Infantry Regiment Battle of the Crater, Petersburg, Virginia"Planted his colors on the Confederate works in advance of his regiment, and when the regiment was driven back to the Union works he carried the colors there and bravely rallied the men."NavySignal QuartermasterAboard , First and Second Battles of Fort Fisher – For extraordinary heroism in action while serving on board the U.S.S. New Iron sides during action in several attacks on Fort Fisher, North Carolina, 24 and 25 December 1864; and 13, 14, and 15 January 1865. The ship steamed in and took the lead in the ironclad division close inshore and immediately opened its starboard battery in a barrage of well-directed fire to cause several fires and explosions and dismount several guns during the first two days of fighting. Taken under fire as she steamed into position on 13 January, the New Ironsides fought all day and took on ammunition at night despite severe weather conditions. When the enemy came out of his bombproofs to defend the fort against the storming party, the ship's battery disabled nearly every gun on the fort facing the shore before the cease-fire orders were given by the flagship.ArmyE-09Sergeant Major 4th U.S. Colored Infantry Battle of Chaffin's Farm, Virginia"Seized the colors, after 2 color bearers had been shot down, and bore them nobly through the fight."ArmyE-01Private36th United States Colored Infantry RegimentBattle of Chaffin's Farm, Virginia"Rushed in advance of his brigade, shot a rebel officer who was on the parapet rallying his men, and then ran him through with his bayonet."ArmyE-05Sergeant38th U.S. Colored Infantry Battle of Chaffin's Farm, Virginia"Gallantry in the assault"ArmyE-01Private6th U.S. Colored Infantry Battle of Deep Bottom, Virginia"Rescue of regimental colors."* ArmyE-05Sergeant4th U.S. Colored Infantry Battle of Chaffin's Farm, Virginia"When the regimental color bearer fell, this soldier seized the color and carried it forward, together with the national standard, until disabled at the enemy's inner line." ArmyE-09Sergeant Major5th U.S. Colored Infantry Battle of Chaffin's Farm, Virginia"Took command of Company C, after all the officers had been killed or wounded, and gallantly led it."ArmyE-04Corporal36th United States Colored Infantry RegimentBattle of Chaffin's Farm, Virginia"Having had his arm mutilated, making immediate amputation necessary, he loaded and discharged his piece with one hand and urged his men forward; this within 30 yards of the enemy's works."ArmyE-08First Sergeant6th U.S. Colored Infantry Battle of Chaffin's Farm, Virginia"Gallantly seized the colors, which had fallen near the enemy's lines of abatis, raised them and rallied the men at a time of confusion and in a place of the greatest danger." NavyE-01Landsman Battle of Mobile Bay, AlabamaAlthough "Wounded in the leg and thrown violently against the side of the ship when an enemy shell killed or wounded the 6-man crew as the shell whipped on the berth deck, Lawson, upon regaining his composure, promptly returned to his station and, although urged to go below for treatment, steadfastly continued his duties..."Navy0Engineer's Cook Battle of Mobile Bay, Alabama"[R]emained steadfast at his post and performed his duties in the powder division throughout the furious action which resulted in the surrender of the prize rebel ram Tennessee and in the damaging and destruction of batteries at Fort Morgan."NavyE-01Seamanoff Cherbourg, France"Acting as loader on the No. 2 gun during this bitter engagement, Pease exhibited marked coolness and good conduct and was highly recommended by the divisional officer for gallantry under fire."ArmyE-08First Sergeant5th U.S. Colored Infantry Battle of Chaffin's Farm, Virginia"Took command of his company after all the officers had been killed or wounded and gallantly led it in battle."ArmyE-08First Sergeant38th U.S. Colored InfantryBattle of Chaffin's Farm, Virginia"Commanded and gallantly led his company after the commanding officer had been killed; was the first enlisted man to enter the enemy's works."ArmyE-04Corporal55th Massachusetts Volunteer InfantryBattle of Honey Hill, South Carolina"Saving his regimental colors, after the color bearer was killed during al bloody charge called the Battle of Honey Hill, South Carolina"ArmyE-01Private4th U.S. Colored Infantry Battle of Chaffin's Farm, Virginia"Seized the national colors after 2 color bearers had been shot down close to the enemy's works, and bore them through the remainder of the battle."

Indian Wars Eighteen African Americans earned the Medal of Honor during the Indian Wars of the western United States. Fourteen were "Buffalo Soldiers", members of the Army's first peacetime black regiments. The four Buffalo Soldier regiments, the 9th Cavalry, 10th Cavalry, 24th Infantry, and 25th Infantry, fought in campaigns throughout the west. The remaining four Medal of Honor recipients were U.S. Army Indian Scouts recruited from among the Black Seminoles, a group of Seminole Indians of African descent.

Note: Notes in quotations are derived or are copied in their entirety from the actual Medal of Honor citation