The U.S. Army on Monday set aside the court-martial convictions from a century ago of 110 African American soldiers, including 19 who were executed, saying they were denied fair trials in a landmark acknowledgement of official racism in America.

The Board for Correction of Military Records overturned the convictions, restoring their service records as having concluded honorably and making their descendants eligible for military benefits, the Army said in a statement.

Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said in a statement: After a thorough review, the Board found that these Soldiers were wrongly treated because of their race and were not given fair trials. By setting aside their convictions and granting honorable discharges, the Army is acknowledging past mistakes and setting the record straight.

The reversal comes as right-wing politicians and parents ban books dealing with race and slavery in schools and the U.S. Supreme Court strike down affirmative action policies intended to promote racial equality in university admissions.