African American Advancement in Wwii

African Americans in WWII

Considering that African Americans were under the constant pressure of racism and to prove public opinion wrong, they did an impressive job in their participation in the war. Although they had to fight to be included in the first place, the recognition they gained would set a precedent for other African Americans and change many of the misconceptions about them. By volunteering to help in the war, they showed their loyalty and allegiance to the United States. Slowly, many government organizations and companies began to incorporate African Americans into their programs.

At first, African Americans had a very minor part in the armed forces. They were used for small jobs that gave them no recognition in the war effort. But eventually, after protests from organizations and newspapers, blacks were finally allowed to enlist, even though they would still be segregated. Soon, black regiments were being sent out to fight, the Women’s Army Corps was created and a flight school was incorporated into the Tuskegee Institute, where blacks could become pilots and crew men for the air force. These pilots became so well known that they were eventually named the “Tuskegee Airmen.”

Up until now, the navy only employed blacks for janitorial and deck duties. Once the decree was announced that defense organizations must not discriminate in their hiring process, the navy “began accepting black recruits in other shipboard and shore ratings.” However, while still following the rules set forth in the decree, the navy was still skeptical of the abilities of the blacks and often kept them in charge of on-shore duties. Instead of taking this treatment as insult, African Americans rose above it, performing brilliantly in battle and gaining many awards. The battalions were honored for their bravery and valor all across the board, including escorting over land and sea and fighting in the air. Many African Americans were awarded the Medal of Honor for their performance, the highest military award a soldier can receive.

During this time, back on the home-front defense contractors had no intention of hiring African Americans to contribute to the war effort. After hearing this, “the black press threatened to lead an all-black march on Washington, D.C., in protest.” Roosevelt, in reply to this threat