1. African Americans and World War II

2. World War II,
Over 2.5 million black men registered for the draft
One million served as draftees or volunteers
Blacks experienced a number of “firsts”
Blacks were admitted to the Marines Corp
Blacks were admitted to the Army Air Force
First black naval officers
First black brigadier general
United States military remained segregated
Segregation also in the blood banks.

3. Four branches of military set quotas set in 1940
In 1940, the military set quotas for Black participation at 10% Black participation in the armed forces never reached 10% December 7, 1941 – Blacks made up 5.9% of the military September 1944 – (peak) – Blacks made up 8.7% of the military

4. The United States Army
75% of Black men who served during WWII served in the Army
Units were segregated
Only 2.8% of Black soldiers served in combat units
Most performed “service and support” duties
15.5% of members in combat support
45.6% of the quartermaster corps
32.3% of all transportation units – the motor pool
Black engineers worked on construction projects

5. All Black Combat Units The Army’s all-Black 92nd & 93rd divisions
The soldiers of the 92nd fought with distinction
Highly decorated
Suffered more than 300 casualties
761st Tank Battalion fought in Europe.
183 continuous days; over 30 major assaults
Awarded the Presidential Unit Citation
Other units saw little combat or never fought
Small units created out of divisions that were disbanded

6. The US Army Air Force
145,000 black men served in the US Army Air Force
600 African Americans flew -- “earned their wings”
150 would earn the Distinguished Flying Cross
66 were killed in action
The Tuskegee Airmen -- the 99th Fighter Squadron
most highly decorated pilots were
“The Black Eagles”
Trained at the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama

7. The United States Navy
Blacks played a small role in the US Navy Never more than 5% of the entire Navy Blacks did not go to sea – sleeping arrangements? Restricted to shore duty or coastal crafts in harbors

8. African American women
6,200 black women served as part of the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps They made up 10 percent of the women recruited These women were placed in segregated units

9. Civil Rights
Civil Rights groups continued the fight for racial equality
The NAACP
increased in membership: 50,000 to nearly 500,000
worked with American Jewish Congress
The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)
founded in 1942
Black and White Civil Rights activists
Advocated nonviolent civil disobedience
Held sit ins to protest segregation

10. The Congress of Industrial Organizations
A Labor union that recruited Black workers
John L. Lewis s
CIO gave Black workers access to skilled positions
Motivated in part by idealism
Motivated in part by practical realty
Prevent Blacks from becoming “scabs”
CIO made interracial trade unionism respectable

11. The “Double V” Campaign
Similarities between Nazi racism and Jim Crow
These Black leaders saw the war as an opportunity
The “Double V” campaign
The Pittsburgh Courier
February, 1942
Victory against racism at home AND abroad
Double V campaign part of the popular culture
The glamorous “Double V girl”
Double V clothing

12. Winning Civil Rights through mass protest
Black Americans see war as an opportunity
American industries producing for the war effort
ships, tanks, guns, and other items for defense.
Defense contractors refused to hire blacks
Despite the need for skilled workers
Federal government did nothing to stop the practice

13. A. Philip Randolph Labor leader A. Philip Randolph
Threatens to lead a march on Washington DC
Unless FDR banned discrimination
FDR met with Randolph in June of 1941
FDR -- Executive Order 8802
banned discrimination in defense industry
banned discrimination in the federal government