Racial Diversity, Integration and Equal Opportunity in Us Army;

Running head: RACIAL DIVERSITY, INTEGRATION

Racial Diversity, Integration and Equal Opportunity in US Army;

A Proud History of Progress

Table of Contents

Certificate of Authorship 1

Title Page 2

Table of Contents 3

Abstract 4

Introduction 5

Minority Service to the US Army - A Proud History 5

The Revolutionary War 5

The Civil War 6

Buffalo Soldiers 6

World War I and World War II 6

The Korean Conflict 7

Vietnam and the Mandatory Draft 7

The All-Volunteer Army 8

Army Demographics 8

Equal Opportunity and Sexual Harassment Complaints 10

Conclusion 10

References 12

Abstract

The Army has a long-standing tradition providing opportunities for service to our country without regard to national origin, race, gender, sexual orientation, or religion. Minority soldiers have served proudly in every conflict that America has fought. This paper discusses a brief history of the racial integration in the United States Army and examines the demographics of the Army in fiscal year 2004. The Army has been overall very successful in its racial diversity, equal opportunity, and sexual harassment programs.

Racial Diversity, Integration and Equal Opportunity in the US Army

On 26 July 1948 President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981, calling on the armed forces to provide equal treatment and opportunity for black servicemen. (MacGregor, 1985, chap. 12) This was truly a historic event in American history and promised a future of equality not just for black servicemen in the military, but paved the way for further progress in the Civil Rights movement and more equal treatment for all minorities.

Has our military met the challenge to provide equal treatment and opportunity for all? The path has been rough and slow going at times; and clearly a distance is left on our journey, but the overwhelming body of evidence plainly shows that today's Army is an excellent example of a successful racially diverse workforce that provides opportunities for Americans to serve their country regardless of national origin, race, gender, sexual orientation, or religion. Although there were many examples of heroic service by other minority groups, this paper concentrates mainly on the integration of black soldiers in the military.

Minority Service to the US Army - A Proud History

Minority soldiers in general and black soldiers in particular have fought and contributed in every war and conflict that has called on the sacrifice of our American fighting men and women. Black soldiers fought side by side with white soldiers in the Revolutionary War. In subsequent wars through World War II, blacks would serve in segregated combat units. It would not be until the Korean Conflict that America would once again see an integrated Army.

The Revolutionary War

During the Revolutionary War, the British actively recruited blacks into the British Army. In June 1772, Lord Mansfield, Chief Justice of the King's Bench, outlawed slavery in England but not in the colonies. (Selig, 1997) The British promised freedom to slaves that fled their slaveholders and in 1775, Lord Dunmore, the last Royal Governor of Virginia, issued a proclamation of freedom that encouraged many blacks to join his Army (Rommel-Ruiz, n.d.). The response to this proclamation was overwhelming and some 300 former slaves (making up roughly half of Dunmore's strength), fought at the Battle of the Great Bridge in 1775 (Selig, 1997). Mostly out of military necessity and to a lesser extent, colonial idealism, blacks were allowed to serve in the American forces - and in many cases were promised freedom and pay in exchange for their service. Despite colonial fears of revolt, some 5,000 blacks, the majority from New England would serve mostly in integrated units - the majority as infantrymen or as laborers, a minority as artillerymen, musicians, and cooks. (MacGregor, 1985, chap. 1)

Though there were clearly blacks that fought in the War of 1812 and the Mexican War, the overall contribution and use of blacks remains unclear and not well documented. The next large-scale use of blacks in the Army would be the Civil War.

The Civil War

Roughly 200,000 "colored" men and their 7,000 white officers comprised the US Colored Troops during the Civil War (United States Colored Troops Institute, n.d.). It is widely known that President Lincoln vastly underestimated the resolve and strength of the southern states in their attempt for secession from the Union. President Lincoln would prepare for a "minor insurrection" by blockading Confederate Ports and calling for 75,000 volunteers. (McRae, 1995) Many blacks rushed to enlist in the Union Army but were turned away due to a Federal law dating from 1792 that barred "Negroes" from bearing arms for the U.S. Army (U.S. National Archives & Records Administration [NARA], n.d.). An appeal went out to the Governor of Ohio, David Todd, who rejected the idea by stating President's Lincoln position that, "this is a White man's government and that they were able to defend and protect it". (McRae, 1995)

After nearly two years of heavy Union losses and facing difficulties in raising volunteers to fight, President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863 and in May of 1863 the Government established the Bureau of Colored Troops to manage the growing number of black soldiers. (NARA, n.d.) A total of some 186,000 black men would serve (10% of the total Union