Historical Analysis on African American Black People and Their Support in World War II - Essay Example

Historical Analysis on African American Black People and Their Support in World War II Recognition of the inherent self-esteem and the incontrovertible human rights of all the member of human family can be considered as the core foundation of the freedom and peace in the universe whereas disrespect and contempt for the human rights have consequence in barbarous acts towards the humankind. Same things were happened in the land of United States. An epidemic of racial violence swept across the united state against black Afro American people. Now, the most pressing question here is how the Afro American people earned their reputation and to what extent did they sacrifice their abilities to entitle the spirit of brother hood between black and white people in United States? Americans or afro-Americans are the people who are citizens of the United States but ancestries of the native people of African continent. In this 20th century also, black people of America are treated differently than the white people of the state. The history of afro-Americans started in the early 16th century. At that time, Africans were forcibly taken to the English as well as Spanish colonies in American sub continents as a slave. The first colony where African slaves were arrived was located in the South Carolina area of today’s northern part of the United States. Record number of African labors brought into the land of America during those days. Mainly young men as well as women accepted the ‘contract of indenture’ in exchange for live in a new world called America. They had to work for several years without wages under the English settlers of America. Virginia and Maryland also had similar history of slavery. Servants could be beaten for disobedience or even bought, sold and leased among the owners. However, they were usually freed after their service expired. Their decedents did not inherit the status rather they had to earn it for their own. It has been seen that until 1865 incarcerated people could not officially marry in any American colony. In northern states of America, the situation was better than the southern part. Many enslaved people entered into marriage like relationship though they knew that the state law did not protect their relationship. They lived in nuclear families or partial-nuclear families. In some families father might have a different owner than that of his wife and children. Even when enslaved children reached their age of seven or nine they were also treated as the slave of their master and assigned for the tasks such as taking care of the master’s children, working in the plantations along with their parents (Hodges, n.d.). There was a constant threat of being sold by the owner. An enslaved individual could be sold if his owner died or needed to liquidate his assets, or he thought that the slave was a troublemaker. Paradoxically many owners actually encouraged the slave to marry and help them to forming family as they thought it would help them to keep slavery in its place (Nationalhumanitiescenter.org, n.d.). However, things were changing from the mid of nineteenth century. By 1860, around 500000 African American people were lived free across the country. They set up schools, communities, associations, banks, churches for themselves and away from the white control. However, racial discriminatory laws as well as racial violence towards these people were still in the place. Even government authorities also encouraged mass racial violence aimed at the black people. Desperate condition of the black people pushed them to migrate towards the northern part of the America for seeking job and better lifestyle. In first decade of the twentieth century, around 204000 leaved their house and migrated to the north. It was further accelerated with the outbreak of the World War I and continued up to 1930. There were around 1.3 million southern were living in the southern area of the America. However, the great depression was wiped out the job opportunities in the northern part of the America also. Especially it was becoming difficult for the afro American people. However, the outbreak of Second World War again geared up the migration of the black people. Around 1.4 million black people from southern part of America migrated to the northern part to seek the job in the defense industry and took part in the war directly as well as indirectly (The National WWII MUSEUM, 2014). Big cities of the northern part of the America are the destined place for the southern black people of the America. In the first phase of the migration, eight major cities of America attracted almost two-third of the migrants. These eight cities were New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Manhattan, Indianapolis and Cleveland. In the year 1941, NAACP convinced the government to recruit the black people and train them to make all black combat units as an experiment. Some civil right pioneers also helped to spread this idea in hope of giving Afro American people a chance to prove them and which would facilitate the victory over the racism in homeland. African American black people served bravely in the World War II. It was not only the war for the nation but also black people were struggling for establishing their own civil rights. It has been seen that in 1941 around 4000 afro American people were serving in the military. However, only 12 Afro American became the officers in the regiment. Most of the black people were assigned into the non-combat units of the military. They were mainly relegated to the service related duties such as maintenance, supply, transportation, cooking, nursing etc. There role in the war was given equal importance as that of the front liners. With time, the number of Afro Americans black people grew dramatically in the army, air force, Marine Corps and coast guard. Again, by 1945 military heads began to place more African American people into the higher positions such as pilots, tankers, infantrymen, medics, officers. In every position as well as ranks black people served with distinction, honor and courage as any of the white American did. Still there were some evidences of ill treatment especially in the southern part of the America. It has been seen that on D-Day that was the day on which a combat attack has been initiated, the first combat army of the Omaha & Utah beaches included around 1700 African American troops. These people were been divided into the 320th Anti-Aircraft Barrage Balloon Battalion and the 327th Quartermaster Service Company. Very soon, 761st Tank Battalion was became the all black troops and fought through Patton’s Third Army of France. They spent around 183 days in the combat and were recognized with capturing 30 major towns in Europe in the cities of Germany, Belgium and France. Several African American fighter and bomber groups were taken into the Army air force. ‘Tuskegee Airmen’ of the 332nd fighter group became the part of the 15th Air force; this was also the combat of the black men. It has been found that the Tuskegee Airmen flew around 15000 sorties between May 1943 to June 1945. It is actually hard to estimate how many enslaved black served in the army. Although black soldiers earned the dignity, still discrimination was remained in the place in form of pay as well as in other areas. According to the Military Act 1862, African people were to receive $10 per month where as the white people were getting $16 per month. After much controversy Federal congress granted equal pay for all soldiers without any discrimination. Discrimination was practiced in the job assignment also. Colored units most often assigned laborer work although they had the ability to do work that needed more responsibility. American women and other minorities also made significant contributions in the Second World War. They found many employment opportunities from which they had been barred previously. From the outcome of the war, it was evident that war has changed the socio economic culture of the nation. From the perspective of African American people’s contribution in the World War II, It can be termed as the World’s greatest democracy war fought against the enemy overseas and the racism at home with a segregated army. There were always trouble between the races but they have learned to respect each other. There were many contradictions also. United States were criticized by the aligned govt. about promoting ‘Hitlerism’ in their home ground. Black peoples viewed their service as legitimizing their economical as well as political equality in the land of United States of America. Afro American involvement in the World War II functions as symbolic representation of the domestic discrimination conflict involving racism, social fragmentation, sexual struggle and rhetorical patriotism. African American involvement in the war to protect the nation raised issues of equality, race, legal citizenship and the religious and moral idea behind the ritual of slavery. This consciousness and the denunciation of unjustifiable racism seeded the initiation of the Civil rights movement. References Hodges, K. (n.d.). Continuity or Change: African Americans in World War. Retrieved from, http://www.umbc.edu/che/tahlessons/pdf/Continuity_or_Change_African_Americans_in_World_War_II(PrinterFriendly).pdf Nationalhumanitiescenter.org,. (n.d.). How Slavery Affected African American Families, Freedoms Story, TeacherServe®, National Humanities Center. Retrieved from http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/freedom/1609-1865/essays/aafamilies.htm The National WWII MUSEUM, (2014). African Americans in World War II (1st ed.). Retrieved from http://www.nationalww2museum.org/assets/pdfs/african-americans-in-world.pdf Read More