Transcript African-Americans and WWII

WWII Propaganda
Propaganda Debrief
 In
general, what are the arguments of
these posters?
• How do the posters fit with what you read about
in Ch. 35?
 If
you were to group these posters into
themes, what would those themes be?
 What one is your favorite? Why?
 1941
- 80% of AfricanAmericans still lived in
the old confederate
states
 Most
poor
were extremely
Read and Predict
1
partner reads the blue/1 reads green
 Predict the primary grievance of AfricanAmericans during WWII. What do they
want to change?
 How will they go about accomplishing
change?
A. Philip Randolph
 1925
– Philip Randolph
President of the Brotherhood of
Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP)
 As
a labor organizer, he worked
for the rights of AfricanAmerican workers
 Clip
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llVFUXPQiqE
WWII & African-Americans
 WWII
proved to have huge economic
benefits
• Jobs in defense factories & armed forces
brought almost all Americans out of poverty
 …Except
African-Americans, who still
could not get jobs
The Armed Forces
 The
Marines excluded AfricanAmericans entirely
 The Navy used them as servants
 The Army segregated African-Americans
into regiments typically led by white
officers
The March on Washington
 Philip
Randolph called for a March on
Washington to demand an end to
segregation in defense industries and
the armed forces
March on Washington

“…With faith and
confidence, Negroes, by
mobilization and coordination of
their mass power, can cause
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT TO
ISSUE AN EXECUTIVE ORDER
ABOLISHING DISCRIMINATIONS
IN ALL GOVERNMENT
DEPARTMENT, ARMY, NAVY, AIR
CORPS AND NATIONAL
DEFENSE JOBS.”
FDR’s Response
 In
response, FDR issued Executive Order
8802 – the Fair Employment Act
• Banned segregation in the defense industries
• Did not desegregate the military
 Randolph
cancelled the March on
Washington as a result
Famous All-African American
Forces
 125,000
African
Americans served
overseas in WWII
 Famous
segregated
units, such as the
Tuskegee Airmen and
761st Tank Battalion
New Jobs
 Movement
– Many African-Americans
moved to Northern cities in order to take
advantage of new opportunities
 Defense
jobs – Helped lift many AfricanAmericans out of poverty
Racial tensions
 Some
cities - racism and
distrust
 Race
riots in which AfricanAmericans were targeted
WWII’s impact on African-Americans:
• Better jobs and wages
• More organization
• Movement to Northern cities
• Still racial tension and segregation in
some areas – but overall better economic
conditions
Post-Script
 In
1948 President Harry S. Truman signed
Executive Order 9981 integrating the
military and mandating equality
 The
last all-A.A. unit wasn't disbanded
until 1954.
WOMEN IN WWII
Women and World War II
 Women
20
18
16
14
12
10
Women
8
6
4
2
0
Before
After
joined the
workforce. Before the
war, only about 3
million worked in the
U.S.
 Most were housewives
and raised families.
 Desperate for workers
to produce weapons,
women replaced the
men that went to war.
WOMEN MAKE GAINS
 Women
enjoyed
economic gains during
the war, although many
lost their jobs after the
war
 Over 6 million women
entered the work force
for the first time
 Over 1/3 were in the
defense industry.
Women and World War II
 Read
the historian interviews with your
partner
Your Conclusion
 What
impact did WWII have on womens’
lives?
 In
one paragraph, craft an argument that
answers this question. Use information
from multiple historians.