War Effort and WW2

• Black Americans during the war

  • The treatment of black Americans during World War Two showed that there was still racial discrimination in the USA.
  • Black Americans were involved in the war effort both in the armed forces and in the factories on the home front.
  • They hoped that civil rights for black Americans would improve during the war.
• The Jim Crow Army

  • The US armed forces were segregated just like transport and education were in the southern states of the USA
  • The segregated units were known as the Jim Crow Army - they were named after the Jim Crow laws.
• The roles that Black Americans played in the war

  • To begin with, black people were only allowed to serve in supporting roles, working in kitchens or carrying messages rather than fighting on the front lines
  • The same was true in the navy and the air force
  • However, this changed later in the war, as black Americans were needed to fill positions in the forces as troop numbers fell when white Americans were wounded or killed
  • By 1945, almost 750,000 black Americans were serving in the armed forces
  • Initially, there were only white officers in charge of these segregated units
• How Black Americans were discriminated against in the armed forces

  • Black Americans in the armed forces were not just discriminated against in terms of the jobs they were allowed to do
  • Additionally, there were segregated blood supplies for treating the wounded, as many white troops refused to accept blood transfusions from black Americans 
  • Also, the many black women who served as nurses in the armed forces were only allowed to treat black servicemen
• Black and White soldiers fighting together

  • Dwight D Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in Europe, supported the idea of integrated units of black and white soldiers fighting together.
  • In 1944, as the war progressed and casualties increased, black American soldiers were sent to fight in combat units on the front lines
• 761st Tank Battalion

  • The 761st Tank Battalion was a predominantly black unit and became known as the Black Panthers (not to be confused with the Black Panthers of the 1960s)
  • The battalion was highly praised by General George Patton during the Battle of the Bulge
  • By the end of the war, many black Americans serving in both the army and the navy had been promoted to be officers
• Tuskegee Airmen

  • There were also fighter squadrons of black American pilots. For example, the Tuskegee Airmen were a squadron of black American pilots 
  • Their job was to protect Allied bombers flying missions against Germany in World War Two 
  • They served in Europe and were very successful at protecting bombers from German fighters 
• What Franklin D Roosevelt did to stop protest

  • The war meant a huge increase in demand for workers in factories on the home front to produce weapons
  • The black American men and women who moved across the USA to work in these factories found that they were discriminated against, especially when it came to pay
  • To avoid a protest by black Americans, President Franklin D Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8802, which banned discrimination against black Americans in work.
  • He also set up the Fair Employment Practices Committee (FEPC) to make sure these policies were carried out
• Black Americans roles on the home front increasing

  • During the war, the number of black Americans working for the US government rose from around 50,000 to 200,000
  • Roughly another 2 million black Americans worked in the war industries
  • Many of the roles in the war industries demanded technical knowledge and skills - black Americans would not have been allowed to carry out these roles before the war. 
  • When entering these roles for the first time, they received a higher level of training than they would previously have been able to access
• Consequences of discrimination being common

  • Even with some improvements, however, discrimination was still common
  • It led to an increase in racial tension that culminated in race riots in many cities across the US
  • The worst example was in Detroit in 1943, where 34 people were killed, 700 more were injured and $2 million worth of damage was caused
  • There were even riots at black army training camps where black soldiers were angry at unequal treatment
• Black American Soldiers stationed in Britain

  • In 1942, 150,000 black American soldiers were stationed in Britain as part of a build-up of Allied forces that would soon be invading Nazi-occupied Europe.
  • For many of the soldiers, life outside their base was the first time they experienced life without segregation 
  • Inside their bases, they were still segregated and seen as part of the Jim Crow Army.
• Experiences of Black American soldiers in Britain

  • They were treated far better than they had been back in America.
  • While some businesses were concerned about losing white American customers if they ignored segregation, most ordinary British people welcomed black American soldiers
  • Their experience in Britain encouraged many of these black Americans to do more to challenge discrimination back in America
• Double V campaign

  • The Pittsburgh Courier newspaper started the Double V campaign in 1942 to highlight discrimination against black Americans in both the armed forces and the war industries
  • A symbol representing the Double V message went on to appear on articles and posters, and many black Americans wore the symbol as a badge on their clothing.
  • The ‘double victory’ was supposed to represent the defeat of fascism in the war and the defeat of discrimination back at home.
  • The campaign was very successful in raising awareness of the discrimination that black Americans faced
• NAACP

  • As a result of black people’s experiences of discrimination during the war, membership of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) rose from around 50,000 to 450,000 by 1945.
  • The NAACP challenged the Jim Crow laws in court and worked to educate people about the discrimination that black Americans faced.
  • The NAACP would become increasingly important in the civil rights campaigns of the 1950s and 1960s
• CORE

  • The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) was founded in 1942 inspired by the tactics of Mahatma Gandhi.
  • CORE used non-violent protests, such as sit-ins in segregated cinemas and restaurants, to challenge segregation.
  • The organisation was especially active in the northern cities, where its members had a lot of success
• What hindered the civil rights movement progressing after the war?

  After the war, civil rights for black Americans became a more divisive issue. Civil rights groups had gained support from presidents and people in the northern states, but many southern politicians continued to support segregation
• Efforts from President Harry Truman to stop discrimination

  • President Harry Truman had tried to pass his Fair Deal, which would have dealt with some of the discrimination that black Americans faced
  • However, his proposals were stopped by southern senators in Congress
  • As they could not stop him from making changes to the armed forces, Truman signed Executive Order 9981, which desegregated the armed forces
  • By 1955, the US armed forces were fully integrated