Its original posting predates the mandated bifurcation.
Hardly a mortal sin.
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As for the stuff about having to fight, because otherwise you'd get shot as traitors or deserters...Of course that would have applied if you were white too

Not exactly, McGrath. They were summarily executed, by whim, as disobedient property. Even deserters and traitors have basic rights. Blacks - as property- had none. Check the books I've mentioned - you might be surprised how well informed many of the slaves- even field hands- were about the issues of the day.

I, too, like the "airbrished from history" phrase- but keep in mind most of this airbrushing was accomplished in the first three decades of the 20th Century.

Blacks served with distinction in all the North American wars from Seven Years War ("French and Indian War") up through the War of 1812 and the Mexican War in both land and naval forces and on all sides.In fact, a large contingent of Blacks left Virginia with the British Army after Yorktown to gain their freedom- pissed the Slaveocracy off no end.

In the Civil War, over 186,000 Blacks men - most of them from the slave states- served in the Union Army. This was ten per cent of the total enrollment. Almost as many again- men and women- were employed as teamsters, laundresses, cooks, nurses, artisans of various types, etc. etc. Pretty obvious demonstration of where their sympathies and allegiances lay.