Data News Staff Edited Report
The National WWII Museum’s newly expanded and reimagined Fighting for the Right to Fight: African American Experiences in World War II special exhibition honors the significant role millions of Black servicemembers and Home Front workers played in securing Allied victory, even as they faced discrimination. Emphasizing the fight for a “Double Victory” against fascism abroad and racism at home, this groundbreaking exhibit explores the challenges faced by and accomplishments of African Americans before, during, and after World War II.
Fighting for the Right to Fight is presented in honor of Corporal Warren J. Donald, Sr. by the Arnold Donald Family and on display in New Orleans thanks to additional support from Dr. Bobby and Mrs. Lori Kent Savoie and Timber and Peggy Floyd.
Despite frequently earning distinction as individuals and units fighting for America since before it was a country, African Americans faced restricted opportunities in the segregated Armed Forces. Fighting for the Right to Fight delves into the rich history of Black military service before World War II, from the African American Patriots of the Revolutionary War and those fighting to abolish slavery during the Civil War, to the famed Buffalo Soldiers on the American Frontier. Examining the turbulent decades between Emancipation and the outbreak of World War II, the exhibit paints a picture of life for African Americans marked by periods of progress and setbacks.
In 1941, the United States was thrust into a global war that required massive military and industrial mobilization to win. Volunteering in record numbers, more than 1.2 million African American men and women served in all branches of the still-segregated Armed Forces during World War II, and over a million more on the Home Front took advantage of new labor opportunities in defense and other crucial industries. Special and one-of-a-kind artifacts from the Museum’s collection highlight these expanded roles filled by Africans Americans during the war.
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