African Americans and the Armed Forces

1. African Americans and the Armed Forces By Chrisy, Chue, Gaodua, Baonhia, Jack, and Kagai

2. Life Before The War BAD -Many African American troops who returned from WW1 continued to face discrimination and segregation, and sometimes even race riots -Some World war 1 veterans were also lynched while in uniform. -Living conditions were terrible and people lived in extreme poverty GOOD - African-American population lived in rural areas and worked on farms owned by white landowners - These working opportunities were in the North

3. Life During The War: The Army: - 90% Whites 10% African American - African American were still underrepresented by early 1942 - At the end of war, less than 3% of all men were assigned for combat duty - Jim Crow army: Given inferior training;endured racial slurs and physical treatment - Not allowed in combat tasks; performed tasks such as cooking, guarding prisoners etc. - Promotion was difficult - Battle of the Bulge; Only replaced white men when they were short on soldiers The Air Force: - Developing of air force;were not allowed to enlist - 1945;600 pilots recruited not allowed to fly in white men groups The Navy: - Had the worse treatment - Had the most dangerous job; loading ammunitions on ships bound for war

4. Life During The War: continued - Accident on July 1944; two vessels detonated killing 323: mostly african americans - Protest the dangerous working conditions led to 50 sailor arrested and imprisoned The Marine Corps: - Before 1944; were not allowed in combat - Were employed as cooks, laborers and guards - 1943-4;riots at 9 African American army training camps: Ex: African American soldiers were shot by Little Rock Police (1942) - Treatment abroad were often far better than by their own country *This is a scene from an ammunitions dump explosion near Concord that killed 320 men in 1944. It was considered the worst World War II-related disaster in the United States.

5. Life After The War GOODS: • The Civil Rights changed the thoughts of many Americans towards the African Americans. • After the war they realized that they should make a change for themselves and gain their rights. • Changes in segregation with the help from Supreme Court. • There is also an improvement on payment between African American and Americans. • The Double V Campaign (A Campaign for victory over racism abroad “Nazi - Holocaust”, and at home “Jim Crow’s Law”) brought both the African Americans and Americans together closer. BAD: • Even after the war, there were race riots as well as little improvement towards some African Americans. • African Americans decided not to return home, they moved to the cities and looked for jobs related to their work during the armed forces. • Some went back home and demanded for Democracy that they fought for but they didn’t gain their rights. This is when the civil rights “began” • Some African Americans were still stuck with dangerous jobs as well as low payment. • The Air force did not allow African Americans to become pilots.

6. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Our Sources - ( This ‘prayer’ appeared in the Baltimore Afro-American, 16 January 1943, a weekly newspaper founded in 1842 and published in Baltimore, Maryland, USA ) - ( Excerpt from a letter written in APril 1944 by Corporal Rupert Timmingham to the magazine Yank about traveling in Texas with other black soldiers. Quoted in Citizen Soldiers, By Stephen Ambrose, published by Simon & Schuster, UK, 1997, pages 345-6) -http://admin.bhbl.neric.org/~mmosall/ushistory/topics/presentation.htm (Before the war) -http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe40s/life_18.html (After the war) (Google Pictures)

7. YES WE IS DONE(correct word would be “are”) P.s You guys should be Proud of Us :) Good Luck To You Guys After Us :DD um.. yeah Jey was here. (If you didn’t know. Kdcv Wrote this !!