The GI Bill of Rights

From the inception of the United States, Black soldiers have answered the call to serve on the front lines. And in 1944, the US government created the GI Bill, providing benefits and offerings like job training, loans for school and access to mortgages for soldiers who serve their country.

The bill should have changed the landscape for Black soldiers returning home. However, specific wording in the formal piece of legislature combined with the decision to allow states to regulate the program meant Black people were subjected to the same discrimination and exclusionary practices as years prior. While Black people continue to serve in the armed forces, the effects of the discriminatory practices are still felt and seen to this day.

In this episode of Black History In Two Minutes or So hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr. — with additional commentary from Hasan Jeffries of Ohio State University, Angela Glover Blackwell, Founder in Residence- Policylink, and Lawrence Bobo of Harvard University — we will take a look at a bill that was seen as a major education and social mobility investment for soldiers but instead, it turned out to be the opposite for many Black soldiers.

Black History in Two Minutes (or so) is a 4x Webby Award winning series.

Archival Materials Courtesy of:
• Alamy Images
• Everett Collection, Inc.
• Getty Images
• Library of Congress
• C-SPAN

Additional Archival Material Courtesy of:
• Inkwell Films, Kunhardt & WNET

Executive Producers:
• Robert F. Smith
• Henry Louis Gates Jr.
• Dyllan McGee
• Deon Taylor

Senior Producer:
• William Ventura

Series Producers:
• Chinisha Scott
• William Ventura

Executive in Charge of Production:
• Robert L. Yacyshyn

Post Production Supervisor:
• Veronica Leib

Post Production Coordinator:
• Katherine Swiatek

Written By:
• Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Additional Writing:
• Kevin Burke
• Kelsi Lindus
• Chinisha Scott
• William Ventura

Editors:
• Margaret Metzger
• Anne Yao

Producer:
• Kevin Burke

Archival Producer:
• Megan Graham

Research:
• Zoë Smith

Assistant Editors:
• Patrice Bowman
• Nicholas Mastrangelo

Director of Photography:
• Nikki Bramley
• Nausheen Dadabhoy
• Stephen McCarthy

Graphic Design:
• Anthony Kraus

Special Thanks:
• Daina Ramey Berry
• Sam Hartley
• Elyssa Hess
• Stacey Holman
• Hasan Jeffries
• Peniel Joseph
• Imani Perry

Music By:
• Oovra Music

Be Woke presents is brought to you by Robert F. Smith and Deon Taylor.

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[thelmamccoy]

My Dad fought in WWII; he was not able to use his GI Benefit until the mid 70's.
Even then, we were swindled out of everything.
My mother was devested and died in the projects.
My Dad talked about that until he passed. He would be 96yrs young if he was still here. Thank you,
Dr. Gates. ❤️‍🔥💖❤

[donaldlyons]

We are the most patriotic, 13%
Of the population yet we account for 20% of arm service members

[jacobherring]

Stopped by on Memorial Day to remember those who fought hard to serve and were yet excluded and even tormented upon their return.

[saramichelewilson]

Fabulous. Using this in my Jazz history class!

[sweepyourspeech]

I was brought here from a discussion on another channel they said the GI bill was not a subsidy... Walks like a duck to me...

[aweba]

Unfortunately, in today's society, Black American participate in shutting Black Americans out of the benefits of the GI Bill. This is especially the case in majority Black American cities, like Montgomery AL.

[JustTm]

Okay I am a conservative and I generally think the racist America story is overplayed. However, i didn't know anything about this G.I. bill issue. I have to admit, it makes me very sad.

[jmonahan]

Thats a sad misrepresentation of the facts. A higher percentage of black veterans received GI benefits than did white veterans - 49% to 42%. A higher percent of blacks received educational benefits - even in the south. And a higher percent surveyed stated the benefits they received were "life changing". There were over 100 educational action institutions for blacks in the south, while fewer than 18% of blacks had even a high school education. So understandably many of the available opportunities were appropriately in trade schools. Even high school educations were made available to meet the actual need of blacks for appropriate education.
Housing at that time in America was in a state o =f crisis with demand far outstripping supply. That plays a large part, along with the fact that few blacks had the education that allowed for the kind of jobs that would have qualified them for home loans.
The GI Bill was not inherently discriminatory, and had a great many benefits that a great many blacks took advantage of. Please stop telling these misleading myths that hut us all. The whole truth will help us work together to find solutions. These half truths will just make everything worse.