Question

How did World War 2 help start the Civil Rights movement?

Answer 1

First, the demand for soldiers in the early 1940s created a shortage of white male laborers. That labor shortage opened up new job opportunities for African-Americans, Latinos and white women. Second, nearly 1,000,000 African-Americans served in all the armed forces, which needed so many fighting men that they had to enter discriminatory policies. Such policies have previously kept African-Americans from serving and fighting units. Many African-American soldiers returned form the war determined to fight for their own freedom. Now that they had a fascist regimens overseas. Third it during the war, civil rights organizations actively campaigned for African-American voting rights and challenged Jim Crowe laws. And response to protests, President Roosevelt issued a presidential directive prohibiting racial discrimination by federal agencies in all companies that were engaged in war work. The groundwork was late for more organized campaigns to end the segregation throughout the United States.