World War II: Black American History #31

Black Americans have long fought in America's wars, very often fighting for a country that doesn't always fight for them. Today we'll learn about the experience of Black Americans in World War II. We'll look at the ways Black men and women served in the armed services during the war, and look at life on the homefront.

SOURCES:
Chateauvart, Melinda, Marching Together: Women of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (1998)
Todd Moye, Freedom Flyers: The Tuskegee Airmen of World War II (New York: Oxford University Press, 2010).
Sandra M. Bolzenius, Glory in Their Spirit: How Four Black Women Took On the Army During World War II (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2018).
Yvonne Latty, Voices of African American Veterans, from World War II to the War in Iraq (New York: Harper-Collins, 2004) 9-11.

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Sources and References
Chateauvart, Melinda, Marching Together: Women of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (1998)
Todd Moye, Freedom Flyers: The Tuskegee Airmen of World War II (New York: Oxford University Press, 2010).
Sandra M. Bolzenius, Glory in Their Spirit: How Four Black Women Took On the Army During World War II (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2018).
Yvonne Latty, Voices of African American Veterans, from World War II to the War in Iraq (New York: Harper-Collins, 2004) 9-11.

#crashcourse #history #WWII

[drylinedrifter]

I’m a US History teacher and I was right in the middle of preparing a lesson on minorities in WWII when this video popped up on my phone…perfect timing!

[pavarottiaardvark]

I remember watching an interview with a Tuskegee Airman who had been shot down. He commented that the POW camp he was kept in was integrated, but then he got back to the states and was suddenly segregated again.

[wolfgrade]

Every classroom should watch this series.

[elle.roiproductions]

My great grandfather was an Air craft mechanic at West Over in western Massachusetts. This episode felt so personal. Thank you.

[dm]

Clint -- ur doing God's work my man. Thanks for the education. Don't get down!!

[frecklefacedgod]

I wish I had learned about any of this in school. I appreciate these lessons on a level I can't explain.

[AKing]

I can't fathom the bravery it takes to put your life at risk for a country that has deemed you 3/5 of a human. 🤷🏾‍♀️

[andrewtillman]

Thanks Dad PFC A.J. Tillman
From Raymond Mississippi. We honor your service. 1940-1944.

[chukaman]

Everyone, keep up the great work and continue to share these stories so that they are always alive and well in our society

[LegoLordPro]

This is the best insight of Black American history I have ever watched. There are ones that do go well into detail when you look for the right material, but this series has opened an opportunity to learn about Black History in a way that I have never seen before until I took a class about Black American history in College.

[somebodyblockmeee]

Butterflies fill my stomach with pain, anger and disappointment all at once while watching this video.

[twothreebravo]

During WWII there were three segregated tank battalions formed whose units were composed of African American personnel with African American junior officers and white senior officers. The 761st was the most widely recognized of the three for its service during the Battle of the Bulge, the other two the 784th and the 758th also served with great distinction in the European theater.
The 758th served in Italy and most notably had a young Jackie Robinson among its members. The 758th also is able to directly trace its lineage to the current 1st Battalion of the 64th Armor Regiment (1/64 Armor) of the US Army who use the same mascot, a black African elephant, and motto "We Pierce". During my time in the Army, I proudly served in 1/64 Armor and proudly carried on the legacy of these great men.
Hooah.

[enicole]

That story with Gertrude was so sad. Not unusual though, which makes it sadder. How high the cost just to get basic human decency.

[hippo]

Thank you for making these Black history month video. I had very little information about African American and Black American history.

[kevindaniel]

I loved this video! Thank you for covering this. My grandfather was an assistant gunner on one of the warships during WW2; the Pacific campaign. I remembered my dad (who was in the army during the beginning of the Vietnam war) spoke about when grandpa spoke about the rampant racism he experienced, but only once. Mainly because he did not talk about the war. He hated how he and other black men were treated over there. Pops said the reason he was made an assistant gunner was he was one of the few men who had a 12th-grade education serving on the ship and they needed someone smart to help load the guns (I guess they lost other white men in combat so he was needed to help out in that capacity).

[rosswebster]

My Dad found out that one of the janitors at his school, Lowell High School in San Francisco was a tank commander of the 761(I think). He fought in several battles and linked up with a Soviet Ukranian tank battalion at war's end.

[captainoftheneverdie]

Good timing. Currently covering World War II in my classroom.

[notchomomma]

The Tuskegee airmen where highly oppressed and targeted by racists in the top brass... until every bomber crew in the airforce requested them. Apparently the bomber pilots were more interested in getting home alive than in the color of the skin of pilots of their supporting fighters. Holy shit... this video just showed a picture of my grandmother at 3:08.

[DandyHillStables]

Excellent episode! This is such an important series, esp now.

[ah_libra]

Thank you all for another important video!