Essay On African Americans In Ww2

Americans participated in World War II in numerous ways. Before the United States joined World War II, they were isolationists. The United States wanted to stay away from foreign matters (the US did however give aid to allied countries). Although, it all changed on December 7, 1941; Japan secretly attacked Pearl Harbor. After the act of aggression, the United States declared war on Japan and finally joined World War II. While the war was happening, the Government asked citizens to assist. The citizens could aid by joining the military, entering the workforce, and rationing food. Various people helped, from women to African Americans.

The outbreak of World War II in 1939 brought a tremendous shift in the role of the average woman in American

As stated before, there were considerable employment opportunities due to soldiers departing for war. Document 2 comments, “While many African Americans also enlisted in the armed services, many also entered the labor force … to replace enlisted workers”. The impact of these words was that African Americans also contributed to the war by becoming soldiers, but they also worked in factories, as welders, and heavy machinery operators. They were performing as hard as other people. With that in consideration, they still encountered segregation and discrimination. Across the world, African Americans were able to make significant contributions to the war effort due to the need for power. They served in segregated units, fulfilling various roles such as combat, medical care, and logistical support. The Tuskegee Airmen, a group of fighter pilots who flew escort missions for American bombers during the Italian campaign, were among the many African American contributors to the war effort. They were nicknamed the "Red-Tailed Black Angels" by bomber crews and never lost a single plane to German fighters (Doc. 3). The Tuskegee fighter pilots were vital to World War II. Without them, many civilians might have passed. While the war was outbreaking, discrimination was still present in the armed forces. Those regulations often kept denying African Americans enlistment. In December 1942, President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9279 which terminated such restrictions. While the change was slow, by the end of 1944 there were over 700,000 African Americans enlisted in the armed forces. Despite facing challenges, African Americans demonstrated bravery, patriotism, and dedication to the country. They made remarkable contributions to the war