Figure 1.--African-Americans like other Americans strongly supported the war effort. Here we see a World War II War Bond Drive in a Black Chicgo neigborhood. They are christening a jeep which their money help buy. Since the Civil Rights Movement there has been a stress on inequities in American society and criticism of the segregated American military, much of it quite accurate. What we do not hear in the discussion of race during the War is the tremendous progress African-Americans made in the first half of the 20th century, achievments made without undermining the Black family.

African-Americans like most Americans strobly supported the war effort. There is, however, a lrger story to be told. The history of African-Americans in America's wars, in part because of Lost Cause historians, was largely edited out of American histoty until the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. Today this has largely been remedied and topics like the Tusleegee Airmen and other all-black units now receive the attention they deserve. Ans topics like the northen riots, the segregated South, abd the seeggregated military are now discussed. This is as it should be, but the whole story is not being told because liberal academics only want to pursue one side of the story--black victimization. This of course needs to be addressed, but that does not mean that historical trends that do not fit into the liberal agenda should be excluded. What is rately mentioned is the Great Migration and the impact it was having on African-Americans. A combination of Southern Repression and Northern opportunities began driving African-Americans from the rural South to the urban North. This began in the early-20th century and was excelerated by World War I. Thus by the time of World War II, African-Americans were well on their way to becoming an urban population. In the North they were able found both academic and employment opportunities unavaliable in the South at the time. Even in the south there was the emergence of a Black middle class. A good example is the photographic work of Richard Samuel Roberts. And this process was acccelerated during World War II by Federal efforts to prevent discrimination in war industries. Almost never mentioned in the story of Black Ameticans during World war II is that this period was one of the most important eras since Emancipation. One of the reason that it was such an important period of avancement was that Black family was still intact. And the modern horific statistics associated with black Ameicans (academic failure, criminality, drug usage, unwed mothers, etc.) were not the case among African-Americans until the Liberal Project in America undermining the Black family was in full swing (1970s).

Economic Progress

What is rately mentioned is the Great Migration and the impact it was having on African-Americans. A combination of Southern Repression and Northern opportunities began driving African-Americans from the rural South to the urban North. This began in the early-20th century and was excelerated by World War I. Thius by the time of World War II, African-Americans were well on their way to becoming an urban population. In the North they were able found both academic and employment opportunities unavaliable in the South at the time. Even in the south there was the emergence of a Black middle class. A good example is the photographic work of Richard Samuel Roberts. Almost never mentioned in the story of Black Ameticans during World war II is that this period was one of the most important eras since Emancipation. One of the reason that it was such an important period of avancement was that Black family was still intact. And the modern horific statistics associated with black Ameicans (academic failure, criminality, drug usage, unwed mothers, etc.) were not the case among African-Americans until the Liberal Project in America undermining the Black family was in full swing (1970s).

Isolationism

Unlike many ethnic groups, the attitudes of African-Americans are difficult to follow. A factor here is the number of Blacls living in the south where very few could vote and the press more limited. one author suggests that many Blacks attitudes toward foreign affairs were more affected by their regional origins than race. As far as we can tell, while a great deal has been written about the African-American experience during the War, much less is available on Black attitudes about the war. What little we can find about this subject suggests that African-American opinion was similar to overall American attitudes. There were differences, but rather small differences. Here education and poverty may be factors affecting the data. The basic opinion was isolationist and a desire to stay out of the War. The major difference seems to have been a general reluctance to express opinions on foreign affairs. Those that did seem more isolationist than Whites. One author suggests that when corrected for education and poverty, they were more isolationist than suggested by the available data. [Broom and Glenn, p. 194.] And they were more opposed to action against the Japanese than White Americans. [Krenn, p. 5.] We are mnot entirely sure why, but assume it was race. African-Americanswere more opposed to the draft than White Americans, nut again the differences were relatively small. [Kern p. 6.] There are a few complicating factors. By the time of theWar, there was a sunstantial population of Blacls in the North and a very vocal press focusing on isues like lynching. The politically active were infuenced to some degree by the Comminists who took up the issue of racism, unlike the major parties. The fact that Stalin after the signing of the Non-Aggressioin Pact (August 1939) was an ally of Hitler ad=ffected the Party line about the war. Anotherfactor was the small Black Muslim movement. They were stridently opposed to American involvement in the War. We are not sure if this reflected general opposition to the Government or anti-Semric beliefs. We believe that generally speaking that Black Americans were bo fully aware of NAZI racial doctrine beyond animus toward Jews. Few were aware of the extent of NAZI hated of Africans or thefact that they had murdered French African troops.

Non-Desvrimination in War Industries

The economic progress of African-Americans was acccelerated during World War II by Federal efforts to prevent discrimination in war industries.

Support for the War Effort

African-Americans like most Americans strobly supported the war effort. There is, however, a lrger story to be told. The history of African-Americans in America's wars, in part because of Lost Cause historians, was largely edited out of American histoty until the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. Today this has largely been remedied and topics like the Tusleegee Airmen and other all-black units now receive the attention they deserve. And topics like the northern riots, the segregated South, and the seggregated military are now discussed. This is as it should be, but the whole story is not being told because liberal academics only want to pursue one side of the story--black victimization. This of course needs to be addressed, but that does not mean that historical trends that do not fit into the liberal agenda should be excluded.

Sources

Broom and Glenn. (1966).

Krenn, Michael L. Ed. The African American Voice in U.S. Foreign Policy Since world war II (Taylor & Francis: 1999), 302p.

Created: 8:15 PM 11/15/2006
Last updated: 3:26 PM 10/11/2015