Transcript Social Impact of WWII: African American Experience

Social Impact of WWII: The
African American Experience
IB History of the Americas
Mobilizing the Economy for War
• Wartime production
officially ended the
Depression
• War Production Board:
Established to coordinate
production of war
materials
– Halted production of
nonessential materials
– Conservation of goods: Ex:
Imposed national speed
limit to conserve rubber
Mobilizing the Economy for War ctnd.
• Office of Price
Administration: To curb
wartime inflation
– Set price ceilings
– Established rationing of
critical goods (meat, butter)
• National War Labor Board:
To keep workers in
factories
– Imposed ceilings on wage
increases
– Required 30 days notice
before strike
• Many unhappy workers still
went on strike
Building up troops
• 15 million men and
250,000 women enlisted
• To keep production going,
certain groups of workers
eliminated from draft
– Still, drain on agricultural
workers led government to
create bracero program
with Mexico. (we will get
to this later)
EFFECTS ON THE HOMEFRONT: IMPACT ON
SOCIETY: Demographic Shifts
• Urbanization
• Migration to West, esp. California
– rapid industrialization of some western states
(California)
Population Shifts 1940-1950
African-Americans During War
• Double Victory campaign: Victory against
dictators abroad, and racism at home
• Some victories: more job opportunities,
increased migration to North and West (esp.
CA)
• Still, much racism: African Americans paid
less, discriminated in housing, in public
facilities
The Double V Campaign
V for Victory- V for equality at home
• African Americans started
the Double V campaign
•
•
They remained patriotic, yet
pushed for civil rights for
blacks.
It was very important that the
campaign show loyalty
towards the war effort, since
the black press had been
criticized for pushing their own
agenda ahead of the national
agenda.
CORE
The Congress of Racial Equality
•
CORE was founded in 1942 by
James Farmer and others
– Precursor to Dr. King and movement
in 1950’s
– Used non-violent means to force
equality
– Used sit-ins to force change
•
The group's inspiration the book War
Without Violence which outlined
Mahatma Gandhi's step-by-step
procedures for organizing people and
mounting a nonviolent campaign.
African-American Resistance
• African Americans begin organizing:
– 1941: A. Philip Randolph, a black
labor leader, threatened to march on
Washington to protest prejudice
against African-American workers
– In response to threat, Roosevelt
banned discrimination in
government agencies.
– Established the Fair Employment
Practices Commission to insure equal
treatment for African-Americans and
other minorities in war industries.
– Still, results limited. When GIs
returned, blacks still first to lose
jobs.
– All of this is an important precedent
to Civil Rights movement.
Segregated
Units
African Americans in the Armed Forces
• African-American soldiers played a significant role in
World War II
• Nearly 700,000 served in Europe and accounted for
20% of the military forces
• Blacks were still forced to fight in all black units
during WWII.
• The Tuskegee Airmen were black fighter pilots
who destroyed 400 enemy aircraft by the end of
the war.
Racial Discrimination abroad…
• Despite the numbers they faced
racial discrimination:
– Racially segregated forces
– African Americans were often classified
as unfit for combat and were not
allowed on the front lines
– Mostly given support duties
– No African Americans were given the
Medal of Honor during either world war
African Americans on the
Homefront
•
The Struggle for Justice continued on the
home front as well as in the military
–
In the South, segregation continued
•
–
Civil rights still a struggle
Unemployment was high for all segments of
the black community
•
Black migration – over 2 million migrated to the
northern industrial cities
Forced to live in crowded urban areas called ghettos
•
–
Concentrated neighborhoods of minorities
Two Americas??
• Attitudes of Americans in 1942
– 60% of whites thought blacks satisfied with
their condition
– Most blacks disagreed
» Detroit riots – 34 people killed (1943)
» New York City riots (1943)
– FDR did not push Civil Rights as a priority
» “I doubt we can bring about perfection
at this time.”