In every historical event in The United States of America, black Americans have always had a part in the events. From the Revolutionary War to the World Wars, blacks have not only fought alongside their white counterparts, but they also cleaned, cooked and waited on others during the wars. However, when their uniforms were off and times when they weren’t, blacks still faced discrimination, abuse and lack of support from the same country they fought for “freedom.” This ultimately lead many black Americans to question the meaning of freedom, because no matter the outcome of the war, the situation for black Americans were not going to change, especially if the decision was left to the government. Therefore, the participation of blacks during World …show more content…
When veteran soldiers returned home from the war, particularly in the South, they encountered more evidence of racial discrimination (Foner 880). Black soldiers were supposed to protected under the GI Bill —no racial differentiation in offering benefits such as healthcare, college tuition assistance, job training, etc.— however, local authorities who administered its provisions limited the their benefits for such program. For example, the college tuition assistance could only be used towards segregated schools (Foner 880). Many black Americans saw these conditions as unfair and this lead the University of North Carolina Press to published What the Negro Wants (Foner 883). According to Charles H. Wesley, Negroes have wanted what other citizens of the United States have wanted…freedom of wanted freedom and opportunity…the pursuit of life vouchsafed to all citizens of the United States…freedom of speech…religion. However, the Negro has remained a marginal worker and the competition with white workers has left him in want in many localities of an economically sufficient nation (Foner 883). In this voices of freedom, Charles H. Wesley even posed the question, when it is said that we are fighting for freedom, the Negro asks, whose freedom? Is it the freedom of a peace to exploit, suppress, exclude, debase and restrict colored peoples in different parts of the world… the Negro does not want such a peace.