Civil rights during World War Two
Learn more about the civil rights movement in this podcast.
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Black Americans stationed in Britain
- In 1942, 150,000 black American soldiers were stationed in Britain as part of a build-up of Allied forces that would soon be invading Nazi-occupied Europe.
- They were treated far better than they had been back in America.
- For many of the soldiers, life outside their base was the first time they experienced life without segregation.
- Inside their bases, they were still segregated and seen as part of the Jim Crow Army.
- While some businesses were concerned about losing white American customers if they ignored segregation, most ordinary British people welcomed black American soldiers.
- Their experience in Britain encouraged many of these black Americans to do more to challenge discrimination back in America
Double V campaign
- The Pittsburgh Courier newspaper started the Double V campaign in 1942 to highlight discrimination against black Americans in both the armed forces and the war industries.
- A symbol representing the Double V message went on to appear on articles and posters, and many black Americans wore the symbol as a badge on their clothing.
- The ‘double victory’ was supposed to represent the defeat of fascismA very right-wing set of political beliefs that requires complete unity on a national level and complete following of the rules. It is sometimes used as a metaphor to suggest someone who wants absolute control. in the war and the defeat of discrimination back at home.
- The campaign was very successful in raising awareness of the discrimination that black Americans faced, and this sort of publicity would become increasingly important in the 1950s and 1960s.
The NAACP and CORE
- As a result of black people’s experiences of discrimination during the war, membership of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People NAACPThe National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is a civil rights organisation in the USA. Set up in 1909, it works to bring about racial equality. rose from around 50,000 to 450,000 by 1945.
- The NAACP challenged the Jim Crow laws in court and worked to educate people about the discrimination that black Americans faced.
- The NAACP would become increasingly important in the civil rights campaigns of the 1950s and 1960s.
- The Congress of Racial Equality COREAn American civil rights group founded in 1942 known for its use of non-violent protest. was founded in 1942 inspired by the tactics of Mahatma Gandhi.
- CORE used non-violent protests, such as sit-inWhen protesters sit inside or outside a business to protest against its rules. in segregated cinemas and restaurants, to challenge segregation.
- The organisation was especially active in the northern cities, where its members had a lot of success.
Segregation
After the war, civil rights for black Americans became a more divisive issue. Civil rights groups had gained support from presidents and people in the northern states, but many southern politicians continued to support segregation.
President Harry Truman had tried to pass his Fair Deal, which would have dealt with some of the discrimination that black Americans faced. However, his proposals were stopped by southern senatorOne of two officials elected every six years to represent an American state in the Senate. in CongressThe legislative body of the US government, made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives. As they could not stop him from making changes to the armed forces, Truman signed Executive Order 9981, which desegregationRemoval of laws that separate people from different races in public places and day-to-day life. the armed forces. By 1955, the US armed forces were fully integratedWhen the separation of something is ended. For example, when groups of people are mixed together after previously being kept separate.
