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Essay On African Americans In The Military

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Many African Americans have fought and died in various wars under the United States’ military. Following the Second Confiscation and Militia Act, which freed slaves whose masters were in the Confederate Army, African Americans were permitted to enlist in late 1862. However, it was not until January 1, 1863 did they serve as soldiers in the Union Army. Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation which states that “And I further declare and make known, that such persons [that is, African-American men] of suitable condition, will be received into the armed service of the United States to garrison forts, positions, stations, and other places, and to man vessels of all sorts in said service.” It was not until 1948 that President Harry S. Truman’s Executive Order 9981 ended the segregation in the U.S. military. Through that time, African Americans would voluntarily participate in the United States’ military because of the benefits that it brings, for a paying job, and to gain their recognition in society.
Throughout time, whites in the military did not like the idea of working, and practically living, with the African American soldiers. For example, during the time of the War of …show more content…

Many were robbed of this promise due to segregation. “As yet there are no educational facilities for the Negro.” (Jim Crow in Army) There was no educational facilities for the black soldier to receive their guidance in a trade nor able to continue their previous education. Black Union soldiers did not receive equal pay nor equal treatment. They were paid $10 a month, with a deduction of $3 for clothing. In contrast, white soldiers were paid $13 per month without a clothing deduction but instead a plus of $3 allowance for clothing. It was not until June of 1864 did Congress granted the requirement for equal pay in the

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U.S. Soldier’s Respond on Truman’s Executive Order Many white soldiers opposed the Executive Order 9981 by protesting and retiring from the U.S. armed forces, in spite of the fact that issuing this order is one small spark of innovation of equality. African-Americans were still battling essentially with discrimination in the military because some regiments were still segregated. The order was not taken full effect after the Korean War.

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Before WWII in the Army Air Corps, African Americans were not allowed to serve in uniform. Eventually, the U.S. got

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This style of working from the lowest position to a more respectable one was the exact reason why this was was seen as an opportunity by black Americans. The war was a sudden chance to improve their standing in the society they lived

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On July 26, 1948, President Harry Truman signed Executive Order 9981 which ended segregation in the Armed Forces. Executive Order 9981 states “It is hereby declared to be the policy of the President that there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services.” These were the words that granted everyone in the United States Armed Forces equal treatment despite race, color, or creed. This was made possible by civil rights activists, such as Philip Randolph (Lilley). Their valiant efforts led to the end of discrimination in the United States Armed Forces and played a major role in the creation of EO 9981.

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In chapter 11, Painter shows the struggle of African Americans to establish themselves in the war, as well as the fight for their rights as citizens and the attempt to rid the country of discrimination. When the war began, African Americans were not able to get jobs that helped create weapons or defense for the war and painter states, “In the crucial aircraft industry, for example, fewer than 300 out of 100,000 workers were black” (Painter 240). They were not offered the same opportunities to succeed until the Executive Order 8802 was passed and that attempted to desegregate war work forces. This was a huge step in the advancement of African Americans rights. After the war ended, African Americans wanted the steps they took towards their success to not disappear, Painter shows this when she says, “African American servicemen and women were determined not to go back to the humiliation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement they had experienced before the war” (Painter 248).

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After African Americans had the opportunity to prove themselves in the Civil War that didn't change how the whites viewed the African Americans. Throughout the years African Americans we're slowly accepted into society it wasn't until Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and etc. came along end change the lives of all African Americans in the United States. Overall having African Americans join the Union Army helped the Union when the Civil War by giving them more opportunities and giving them a higher chance of winning the Civil

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An estimated 180,000 African Americans went on to serve in the army, while another 18,000 served in the navy for the Union (http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lincoln-issues-emancipation-proclamation). When African Americans heard they were technically allowed to be free now, according to the Emancipation Proclamation, African Americans wanted to fight on the side that would allow them to remain free even after the war ends. At the start of the war, they were not allowed to take part in the army and fight in fear that some states, like Missouri, would quickly transition over to the Confederacy's side. (http://www.crf-usa.org/black-history-month/black-troops-in-union-blue) however, with the war not ending as quickly as the Union thought it would, the numbers of white male volunteers dropped signirficantly with the hope diminishing. At this same time, Lincoln realized that once the war was over there was no possible way that slavery could or should continue and begun to believe the phrase Frederick Douglas about how slavery was “the source and center of this gigantic rebellion.”

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Before the implementation of Executive Order 9981, the military was segregated into colored infantries and regiments. African Americans were subject to racism back home, and this was extended outward hundreds of miles away, in foreign countries of war. To proceed with integration, the order was established in 1948 by President Harry S. Truman, stating, “It is hereby declared to be the policy of the President that there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion or national origin” . This was implemented after WWII, where African Americans felt joining the military would allow them equal citizenship like their counterparts. With the input of Executive Order 9981, more African Americans joined the military as fear of segregation was over.

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These men were college graduates, and some had R.O.T.C training in the infantry because that was the only way they were going to lead men and those men were going to be African American. The United States had a legal apartheid system of racial segregation this was also known as “Jim Crow” it was also included in the military. The War Department placed the training facility to the airmen in Tuskegee, Alabama. Many of the trainees came from northern states and had never been to the Deep South where they told stories of how the atmosphere changed from entering restaurants and changing from one location on trains to another. The men from the north had to rely on the men from the south to help them with adjustments to everyday living in the Deep South.

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However, racism was evident for black men throughout the army; being segregated and not paid equally caused for their voice to be

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Over 350,000 African American soldiers were discriminated against, and out in segregated units during WWI. Though a lot of black units served alongside the French and British soldiers, many were supporters way behind the front lines. There was a General named, John J Pershing who basically influenced the discrimination amongst the black and white soldiers. In summary, he told the white soldiers that they weren't allowed to communicate and/or function with the blacks unless it was under military service. To be exact, 171 African American soldiers for valor under fire, were awarded the French Legion of Honor.

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African American men and women who volunteered were discriminated against and segregated. 167,00 African American soldiers served as cooks, mess attendants, and gun crews. (Historylover20193, and Ron Nash. 2012) People called this war “ White man's war” because in photographs African American were not recognized for what they did on the front lines and in the camps. African American heroism was not recognized in books, shows, or newspapers unless they were blacked owned which was very rare .

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As the war continued, in 1943, a quota was imposed allowing the number of African American males serving in the armed forces to be no greater than their numbers in the overall population, about 10.6 percent. At first, African American males serving were limited to work in labor units, but this restriction also changed as the war progressed, as soon after they were ultimately allowed in

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During World War II the relations of African Americans and whites were still segregated. For African Americans during World War II faced great discrimination in the workplace. If the African Americans did get a job they were usually not good ones. The jobs were also usually less in pay than a white person and the job required more profound labor. They knew not to ask for a better position or better wages because they would not get it.

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In April of 1861, the first month of the civil war, Alfred M. Green gave a speech to encourage his fellow African Americans to “prepare to enlist” and fight for the north. The north was fighting to preserve the Union and end slavery while the opposing side, the south, fought to defend slavery. Although they could not fight in the war, and did not want to, he felt that African Americans should “strive to be admitted to the ranks.” In his speech, Green uses many different methods to persuade them to join the Union forces.

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