We The People: African American Soldiers in World War II

Generations of Americans have used military service to expand notions of citizenship and advance civil rights. As a result, military service has become a tool to broaden the concept of “the people” and what it means to be an American. African Americans have served their country since the Revolutionary War, many serving in segregated units and not always given the respect and honor due to them. Although African Americans fought with distinction in World War II, they returned home to a segregated America. In 1948, President Harry Truman issued Executive Order 9981, which called for equal opportunity for all members of the Armed Forces. The segregated Army became a thing of the past and the segregation of American society began to crumble. In this We the People talk, explore how African American Soldiers’ journey for equal rights expanded what it means to be an American.