Hundreds of thousands of African Americans served with honor during World War II. In that process they broke down barriers that would no longer block their way. The navy commissioned the first African American officers during the war. But at the same time, African Americans continued to suffer discrimination. They were forced to serve in segregated units. That bravery of ten went unrecognized. Not a single African American soldier of World War II received the prestigious Medal of Honor. This was corrected nearly 50 years after the fact, when seven African American received recognition for their remarkable bravery in the battle. The war created on enormous demand for factory workers. So white women started taking many of the jobs.African Americans found new job opportunities as well. As the factories increased war production, thousands found jobs in that had in the past be unavailable to them.
Discrimination against African Americans
When the War Began
When the war began, defense contractors warned the selective service system that the nation did not have enough workers to meet both its military and its industrial needs. But they were wrong. By 1944, despite the draft, nearly 18 million workers were laboring in war industries, three times as many as in 1941. More than 6 million of these new workers were women. At first, war industries feared that most women lacked the necessary stamina for factory work and were reluctant hire them. They thought the women couldn't do a mans job so the women had to prove their point to the employers that they could. "Once the women proved they could operate welding torches or riverting guns as well as men, employers could not hire enough of them." But the women didn't make as much as the men would so that's why they were hiring them like crazy. "Especially since women earned only about 60 percent as much as a men doing the jobs." Defense plants also hired more than 2 million minority workers during the war years. Women faced strong prejudice at first. Just months before the war 3/4 of defense contractors had refused to hire African Americans, while another 15 percent them only in a menial jobs. "Negroes will be considered only as janitors." Declared the general manager of North American Aviation.
African Americans served bravely and with distinction in every theater of World War II, while simultaneously struggling for their own civil right from "the world's greatest democracy." The United States were segregated until 1948, World War II laid the foundation for post-war integration of the military and only twelve African Americans would be serving the uniform on the Home Front, in Europe, and the Pacific. During the war years, the segregation practice of civilian life spilled over into the military. The draft was segregated and more often than not Africa Americans were passed over by the all-white draft boards. The pressure from NAACP led Roosevelt no choice but to let the African Americans go to war too. "Pressure from the NAACP led President Roosevelt to pledge that African Americans would be enlisted according to their percentage in the population." Although the percentage of 10.6%, was never actually attained in the services during the war, African American numbers grew dramatically in the Army, Navy, Army Air Force, Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard. African Americans during the beginning of World War II were assigned to non-combat units and relegated to service duties.
Worked Cited
"African Americas in WWII." Fighting for a Double Victory. New Orleans, LA. Web. 31 Oct 2013.
"Austria's in North Africa." HubPages. 2013 HubPages Inc.. Web. 25 Oct 2013.
Ayers, Edward. The United States in WWII . American Anthem. New York: Holt, Rineheart and Winston, 2007. Print.
Beck, Roger. Modern World History: Pattern of Interaction. Illinois: McDougal Littell, 2003. Print
Brayton, Rebecca. "World War II: How Did It Start?."Watch Mojo. Mojo Surpreme. Web. 25 Oct 2013.
Brown, Lester. "A Wartime Mobilization." Earth Policy Institute. Earth Policy Institute. Web. 31 Oct 2013.
Knepper, George. "African American in WWII, and Civil Rights." Black, White and Beyond. The University of Akron, n.d. Web. 31 Oct 2013.
Krieger, Larry. Mobilizing for Defense. Los Angeles: McDougall Littel, 2003. Print.
"North Africa and the Invasion of Italy." Sparklenotes. 2013 SparkleNotes LLC. Web. 25
Oct 2013
Stearns, Peter. Human Legacy. New York: Holt, Rineheart and Winston, 2008. Print 2003. Print
Sullivan, Gordon. "Mobilization." History Army. N.p.. Web. 31 Oct 2013.
"World War II (1939-1945)." The Eleanor Roosevelt Paper Project. George Washington University, Washington D.C. Web. 25 Oct 2013.
African Americans in WWII
Hundreds of thousands of African Americans served with honor during World War II. In that process they broke down barriers that would no longer block their way. The navy commissioned the first African American officers during the war. But at the same time, African Americans continued to suffer discrimination. They were forced to serve in segregated units. That bravery of ten went unrecognized. Not a single African American soldier of World War II received the prestigious Medal of Honor.
This was corrected nearly 50 years after the fact, when seven African American received recognition for their remarkable bravery in the battle. The
When the War Began
When the war began, defense contractors warned the selective service system that the nation did not have enough workers to meet both its military and its industrial needs. But they were wrong. By 1944, despite the draft, nearly 18 million workers were laboring in war industries, three times as many as in 1941. More than 6 million of these new workers were women. At first, war industries feared that most women lacked the necessary stamina for factory work and were reluctant hire them. They thought the women couldn't do a mans job so the women had to prove their point to the employers that they could. "Once the women proved they could operate welding torches or riverting guns as well as men, employers could not hire enough of them." But the women didn't make as much as the men would so that's why they were hiring them like crazy. "Especially since women earned only about 60 percent as much as a men doing the jobs." Defense plants also hired more than 2 million minority workers during the war years. Women faced strong prejudice at first. Just months before the war 3/4 of defense contractors had refused to hire African Americans, while another 15 percent them only in a menial jobs. "Negroes will be considered only as janitors." Declared the general manager of North American Aviation.
African Americans served bravely and with distinction in every theater of World War II, while simultaneously struggling for their own civil right from "the world's greatest democracy." The United States were segregated until 1948, World War II laid the foundation for post-war integration of the military and only twelve African Americans would be serving the uniform on the Home Front, in Europe, and the Pacific. During the war years, the segregation practice of civilian life spilled over into the military. The draft was segregated and more often than not Africa Americans were passed over by the all-white draft boards. The pressure from NAACP led Roosevelt no choice but to let the African Americans go to war too. "Pressure from the NAACP led President Roosevelt to pledge that African Americans would be enlisted according to their percentage in the population." Although the percentage of 10.6%, was never actually attained in the services during the war, African American numbers grew dramatically in the Army, Navy, Army Air Force, Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard. African Americans during the beginning of World War II were assigned to non-combat units and relegated to service duties.
Worked Cited
"African Americas in WWII." Fighting for a Double Victory. New Orleans, LA. Web. 31 Oct 2013.
"Austria's in North Africa." HubPages. 2013 HubPages Inc.. Web. 25 Oct 2013.
Ayers, Edward. The United States in WWII . American Anthem. New York: Holt, Rineheart and Winston, 2007. Print.
Beck, Roger. Modern World History: Pattern of Interaction. Illinois: McDougal Littell, 2003. Print
Brayton, Rebecca. "World War II: How Did It Start?."Watch Mojo. Mojo Surpreme. Web. 25 Oct 2013.
Brown, Lester. "A Wartime Mobilization." Earth Policy Institute. Earth Policy Institute. Web. 31 Oct 2013.
Knepper, George. "African American in WWII, and Civil Rights." Black, White and Beyond. The University of Akron, n.d. Web. 31 Oct 2013.
Krieger, Larry. Mobilizing for Defense. Los Angeles: McDougall Littel, 2003. Print.
"North Africa and the Invasion of Italy." Sparklenotes. 2013 SparkleNotes LLC. Web. 25
Oct 2013
Stearns, Peter. Human Legacy. New York: Holt, Rineheart and Winston, 2008. Print 2003. Print
Sullivan, Gordon. "Mobilization." History Army. N.p.. Web. 31 Oct 2013.
"World War II (1939-1945)." The Eleanor Roosevelt Paper Project. George Washington University, Washington D.C. Web. 25 Oct 2013.