African Americans: Fighting for Equality
The point of view that white Americans had on African Americans changed significantly during World War II. Before World War one approximately only 4,000 African Americans were serving in the military. At the end of The Second World War, there were 1.5 million African Americans serving America. There were African Americans who were serving in every part of the war. On D Day, the turning point of the war, there were about 1,700 African American troops present. About 16% of the total military were African Americans (The War At Home).
At the beginning of the war, African Americans were not usually present in the combat. They were used to helping with supplies and other maintenance. Many Americans saw African Americans as unqualified as front line active combat fighters. It took time for African Americans to be able to fight on the front line during World War II (The War at Home).
At the beginning of the war, African Americans were not usually present in the combat. They were used to helping with supplies and other maintenance. Many Americans saw African Americans as unqualified as front line active combat fighters. It took time for African Americans to be able to fight on the front line during World War II (The War at Home).
- In World War II, were African Americans serving in every theater of the war However, not until 1948 was segregation was abolished in the United States Military. NAACP eventually persuaded Franklin Delano Roosevelt to allow African Americans to be enlisted based on the percentage in population. At the start of World War II, Black Americans were only involved in maintenance and supplies in the military. However, on D Day approximately 1700 African American troop fought in active combat. The Air Force consisted of several bomber and flyer African American groups. Following physical exams, it was not uncommon that Black Americans were categorized as unfit and not allowed to fight on the front lines (Pencak) .
Words from Black Americans in the Military
"U.S. Army Colonel Bill De Shields, a historian and founder of The Black Military History Institute of America in Annapolis, Maryland, says, 'The symbol of black participation at that time was 'the Double V'. in other words, 'Double V' meant two victories: victory against the enemy abroad, and victory against the enemy at home. The enemy at home of course being racism, discrimination, prejudice and Jim Crow.'" ("Voice of America" )
Overcoming Discrimination At Home
As the United States prepared for war, African Americans advocating for civil rights prepared as well. They pressed the government to start training African Americans in order to allow African Americans to play a part in the United States military. They also wanted African Americans to be able to work in war industries. In 1941, President Roosevelt created the Fair Employment Practices Committee. This required business owners in the War Industry to hire blacks justly. Therefore they were required to hire whites on equal standards ("African-American Soldiers in World War II Helped Pave Way for Integration of US Military").
Similar to the Great Migration of World War I, America experienced a widespread migration of Black Americans into Northern and Western urban areas. In these cities they worked on war jobs where they experienced better pay compared to wages for African Americans in the south. Throughout the war many civil rights activists pushed for a 'Double V.' What this meant was a double victory, not only over Nazism across the Atlantic, but racial oppression home in the United States as well ("African-American Soldiers in World War II Helped Pave Way for Integration of US Military").
Similar to the Great Migration of World War I, America experienced a widespread migration of Black Americans into Northern and Western urban areas. In these cities they worked on war jobs where they experienced better pay compared to wages for African Americans in the south. Throughout the war many civil rights activists pushed for a 'Double V.' What this meant was a double victory, not only over Nazism across the Atlantic, but racial oppression home in the United States as well ("African-American Soldiers in World War II Helped Pave Way for Integration of US Military").