Looking back at the impact of the GI Bill

It's been credited for creating the American middle class after WWII, allowing millions of military veterans to go to college. CBS News special correspondent James Brown has the story of one man whose entire life changed forever thanks to the G.I. Bill.

[iloveumyra]

Blacks were left out of the GI 1947 in Mississippi 3229 loans were given out....2 were to blacks....The feds let the states disperse the money, states who honored Jim Crow...this case is rare...

[joannak.]

Black veterans who wanted to take advantage of the educational benefit promised to them by the GI Bill faced roadblocks at Every. Single. Turn. Because of segregation, the vast majority of higher education institutions were white-only and completely disqualified Black enrollment. The very few that permitted Black enrollment severely limited the number of Blacks that could attend. Black colleges that did exist and that were often the ONLY opportunity for Black veterans to receive their educational benefit were profoundly underfunded and, with the influx in new applicants, overwhelmed to the point that many Black veterans had to be turned away. So no, CBS, the GI Bill did not allow millions of military veterans to go to college, unless by "millions of military veterans" you mean millions of WHITE military veterans. Your misrepresentation in this segment is appalling.

[sunnymagneti]

2% of black veterans received assistance from the GI Bill. The rest were phuct

[drwhetstone]

My hat's off to Mr. Boone for taking full advantage of the GI Bill for himself and his family. Unfortunately, his case is a rare and isolated one since the overwhelming majority of Black Veterans were denied that opportunity, which excluded them from inclusion to the most prosperous Middle Class in human history. To showcase this piece as if Mr. Boone's case was a common occurrence among most Black veterans in those times would be disingenuous at best.

[caroleastmond]

Most Black US veterans after World War II, and the Korean War, were denied the opportunity to use their GI Bill. FDR, should have kept the GI bill at the at the Federal level and not been persuaded, and not let it be controlled by states, who denied U.S. Black veterans the opportunity to fully use their GI Bill, to get an education, or a mortgage to buy a house ; like other non Black veterans have the opportunity use their GI Bill. This reporting here, doesn't fully tell the story, of how many U.S. Black veterans, were denied their right to use the GI Bill, to get an education, and together mortgage to buy a house. They were denied because some people wanted to keep to Jim Crow laws going on, and that was disgusting, because how can you have one population of U.S. veterans getting the GI Bill used, and another population doesn't have that same opportunity, and they're both veterans of the same U.S. wars, you're reporting here doesn't address that fact. You're reporting here, with this gentleman, is the 'exception not the rule when its comes to who got to use their military G.I. Bill. The GI Bill, was a Federal Bill, controlled by states, who deny Black US veterans to use to their G I Bill, and your story doesn't address that fact. Why don't you go interview Black veterans, who were denied the use their G I Bill, your story here is so off the mark as the experience for the majority. U.S. Black. veterans, your story doesn't even cover what they went through, again you're reporting here only shows the 'exception not the rule for the majority of U.S. Black veterans applying and getting denied the GI Bill and most every state in this country', your report doesn't address that fact.

[pa-ikollo]

This is exactly what white society did not want to see happen hence the exclusion of 99.9% of blacks at the time. This video is meant to serve as a soothing remedy for white society but rather it reveals that had they not been left out, more of them would have experienced collective success post war rather than starting from zero with zero support from the state, In fact the state put in place more obstacles.

[marcuswalton]

G.I. Bill sounds Cool Y/Et Groovy. I never hear of this any more. Back in 1978 I considering the Navy, I was handed a a booklet saying tu/vous could have 50.00$ or 75.00$ deducted from your check. If it were 50.00$, 100.00$ would go into an account, if it were 75.00$, 150.00? would go into an account. This would be one's College Money.

[waynepatrick]

Shame on you Mr. Brown, the GI bill, was given Blacks vs White perhaps at a ratio of 1 to 1000.
There's the real story! Cover that, as you disseminate this CBS, after school special/feel good story.. The pathology of educated people of color, is absolutely bepuzzling to me. A missed opportunity to tell the real story, of the inequity of wealth distribution.. Who are these people with a severed connection to reality, even after being old enough to have experienced Crow themselves, while sitting on the lap of their black Grandmothers, on the back of a segregated bus. A big smile sir, and further you have, perhaps the most engaging sports voice, since Cosell, yet organically in your nature, there is the shallow eco, present only to those who are grandfathered in..

Fan No More!

[blackstrong]

This video dust all the racism off of the GI Bill...

[anniemonninger]

I absolutely love this; I agree with Joey Longfured.... a national treasure; no question!