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America entered WWII in December 1941, after the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor. More than a million African Americans served during World War II. African American service persons believed that by fighting the Germans and the Japanese, they themselves would gain Civil Rights at home. Activists saw WWII as a two-prong war, to be fought against tyranny abroad AND at home. They hoped to prove their equality to their white counterparts.
The Tuskegee Airmen, the most famous group of Black soldiers during the war. From Wikimedia Commons.
Life in American during WWII was still heavily segregated. Jim Crow laws existed throughout the entire country, including the armed services! Even the draft was segregated! White draft boards did not want African American serving abroad. African American activists, led by the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), challenged this segregation. They petitioned President Franklin D. Roosevelt to allow African American troops to serve; Roosevelt acquested. However, African Americans still fought in segregated units, receiving lower wages, poorer equipment and lodging than their white counterparts.
Despite this, Black Troops were there throughout the most important parts of the war. One example was the 761st Tank Battalion, who were part of the liberation of France. The 761st, nick-named the "Black Panthers". According to the National WWII Museum of New Orleans, General George S. Patton, who helped oversee the liberation, told the men:
Men, you're the first Negro tankers to ever fight in the American Army. I would never have asked for you if you weren't good. I have nothing but the best in my Army. I don't care what color you are as long as you go up there and kill those Kraut sonsofbitches. Everyone has their eyes on you and is expecting great things from you. Most of all your race is looking forward to your success. Don't let them down and damn you, don't let me down!
Patton, like members of the 761st, were aware of the symbolic importance of the Battalion
The 761st Tank Battalion was the first black ground combat unit in Europe. After D-Day, they helped liberate France, earning respect from French citizens. Image from the National WWII Museum of New Orleans.
African Americans were determined to make their service mean something. They were tired of segregations at home. Moreover, they realized that the hatred they experienced at home was unique to the United States. Throughout Europe, whites treated Black soldiers as heroes. Black service helped re-spark the Civil Rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s, with many veterans becoming activists.
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