JUNE 22

The G.I. stands for "Galvanized Iron" or "Government Issue" or "General Issue", but all terms refer to the soldiers that served in the American Military. Before WWII, volunteer or drafted military men were called "Doughboys." Galvanized Iron sounds much stronger than dough! The toy GI Joe gets his name from this term.

In the years after WWII, the G.I. Bill helped about 8 million soldiers get an education, and helped them secure funding for a home. This helped increase the level of education across America, and created a path of upward mobility for many veterans of the War.

Many, but not all. Over 16 million American men served in WWII, but only about half benefited from the G.I. Bill. What happened to the other men? Some died, some chose not to take advantage of the Bill, and some were intentionally left out. African American servicemen returning from WWII tried to take advantage of the G.I. Bill, but many were denied. They served in the war, and they were entitled to receive the benefits owed to them, and authorized by President Franklin Roosevelt.

But the reality of receiving the benefits of the G.I. Bill were much more complicated. Keep in mind that in 1944, the Civil Rights Act had not yet been passed (that would come 20 years later under President Lyndon Johnson in 1964). Jim Crow laws existed in many states, and many Senators and Congressmen were outwardly racist and pro-segregation. As the Bill went through Congress, racist representatives added subtle restrictions that would make it nearly impossible for the nearly 1.2 million Black veterans to access the G.I. Bill resources.

When the G.I. Bill was being created in Congress, Mississippi Congressman John Rankin was the chair of the House Veterans Committee. He was a known and outspoken racist person who opposed interracial marriage and defended segregation (ironically, there was an abolitionist also named John Rankin). When it came time for Representatives to vote on the Bill, he refused to cast his vote until certain restrictions were put in place. The most significant change to the Bill that Rankin forced was that the funds would be distributed by individual states, not the Federal Government. This meant that states with segregation laws could apply their discriminatory laws to the G.I. Bill.

If Black servicemen were able to get the education benefits, they were funneled to Historically Black Colleges and Universities that were unable to handle the influx of new applicants. Black veterans were also encouraged to take up a trade instead of pursuing a college degree. In addition, many cities and states had Redlining discriminatory housing practices. This meant that realtors would only show Black families houses in certain areas of a city, the less desirable areas. The suburbs and more desirable areas of cities were reserved for white home owners. Banks were involved in Redlining as well, by refusing loans to families based on the color of their skin.

Today, these practices are no longer allowed, but they have had a lasting effect on our cities, our country, and on the Black community. It will take generations to undo the disparities that were created by these racist practices. When you see people marching in the streets for equal rights, these are some of the issues that they are trying to fix.

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