It was perhaps the most important civil right achievement in US history. On #TDIDCH: July 26 1948, POTUS Harry Truman signed Executive Order 9981 ending discrimination in the military.
1 of 6
1 of 6
2 of 6:
Truman’s order ended a long-standing practice of segregating Black soldiers and relegating them to more menial jobs. [footnote: the Women's Army Corps was open to black soldiers prior to EO 9981].
Truman’s order ended a long-standing practice of segregating Black soldiers and relegating them to more menial jobs. [footnote: the Women's Army Corps was open to black soldiers prior to EO 9981].
3 of 6: Truman didn't want to do this. For more than 2 years, however, civil rights activist A. Philip Randolph had been placing political pressure on Truman by inspiring key parts of the country w/ tales of black soldiers during WWII. [Truman was 99 days away from an election]
4 of 6: While this morning many websites are commemorating Truman today, Randolph is a figure worthy of honor today. For Truman, EO 9981 was a political calculation. For Randolph, it was an effort to transform American society.
5 of 6: While neither the country was transformed immediately (many Army uniformed / civilian leaders, including SecArmy Kenneth Claiborne Royall, refused to desegregate the Army for a year + after the order), EO 9981 stands as a profound and lasting achievement for the Nation.
FINAL TWEET: Despite setbacks [& with acknowledged more work to do] it's hard to find any American institution that has been as successful or effective in making systemic racial integration work.
So, here's to you, A. Philip Randolph, from all of us!
So, here's to you, A. Philip Randolph, from all of us!
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