African Americans In The 1960s

During the Vietnam War, the highest ever proportion of African Americans served in the armed forces, an about turn from the previous attitude that they were unfit for combat. About 11% of the American population was African American at the time, while at the height of the war, about 12% of the troops were black. Many blacks enlisted because of few job opportunities at home, as was the case for whites as well in states with low employment opportunities. In addition, many African Americans did not plan on attending college in comparison to whites at the time and could not get a college deferment. As the civil rights movement wore on, racial violence that swept the country in the late 1960s spread to the military, with race riots on military bases and ships. African American prisoners, many of whom were jailed for violent crimes, rioted at the U.S. Army stockade at long Binh from August 29 to September 7, 1968.

1959-1973: Vietnam War

The 1960s also marked the full engagement of the United States in the war in Vietnam. In support of this campaign to uphold democracy, black Soldiers continued the tradition of serving the Army with distinction. (Oxford Companion to American Military History © The Oxford Companion to American Military History 2000, originally published by Oxford University Press 2000.)(Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps African Americans in the