african americans in ww2

olympics 1936

jesse ownes competed and proved to hitler that the nazis weren’t better; fdr refused to acknowledge his victory bc he wanted to maintain votes in the south

race riots + double v

explosion of violence due to low morale; used double v campaign to stop riots

employment

• black ppl treated almost like jews

• more industrial jobs but most worked in agriculture and domestic work

• long term socioeconomic decline

  • due to temporary positions that caused rise then fall

black panthers (army)

• first sacrificed

• looked down on by others and not awarded until social tensions decreased

red ball express

• black ppl overworked truck drivers

• system for transporting things

tuskegee airmen

• faced racism from other squads

• never got a bomber they escorted killed (only squad to do that during ww2)

• reason the military is not segregated

black women

• werent initially nurses but pushed for change through the press (bc the US was short on nurses)

• critical to war