Found 6 collections related to World War, 1939-1945 -- African Americans

The all-Black 99th Pursuit Squadron was created by the U.S. Army in 1941, with the proviso that the pilots would be strictly segregated. The airfield at Tuskegee, Alabama, was chosen as their training site, thus they became known as the Tuskegee Airmen. The Tuskegee Airmen Trainees: Freeman Field Mutiny collection consists of documents relating to a case of racial discrimination that resulted in the arrest of over a hundred African American officers and their subsequent exoneration. less

James Reese Europe, Jr., son of the well-known African-American musician James Reese Europe (1881-1919) and dancer Bessie Simms, was a seaman in the Merchant Marines during World War II. In 1942 the Marine Firemen's, Oilers, Watertenders and Wipers Association attempted to have Europe discharged in direct violation of Presidential Order 8802 of the Fair Employment Act. With the support of the War Manpower Commission and many on board the ship, Europe was permitted to continue in his position. Over time he moved up from wiper (entry-level position) to deck engineer, and with his captain's recommendation he attended officer's candidate school and returned to sea as an ensign in the U.S. Maritime Service. By the time of his discharge in 1946, Europe had been promoted to lieutenant and had received recognition for his work in the Middle East, Pacific and Atlantic war zones. The James Reese Europe, Jr. Papers consists primarily of photocopies of documents related to a case of discrimination during World War II in direct violation of Executive Order 8802, involving James Reese Europe, Jr. and the Marine Firemen, Oilers, Watertenders and Wipers Association in San Francisco (1942). Several documents provide the details of the case from the perspective of the Bay Area Council Against Discrimination, which assisted Europe in presenting his case to the Committee on Fair Employment Practices and to the War Manpower Commission. The union's viewpoint is also represented. Included are originals and copies of certificates, awards, and discharge papers, in addition to letters and documents dealing with his termination from the New York City Police Department on charges of alleged subversive activities related to the aforementioned discrimination case. less

Lawrence D. Reddick served as curator of the Schomburg Collection of Negro Literature, 1939-1948. An African-American historian, Reddick was interested in the role of the black soldier in U.S. wars and published on this topic. Concerned that the role of black soldiers during World War II would not be portrayed accurately by the government, the mainstream or black press, Reddick initiated a campaign to document the experiences of blacks in the military using their first hand accounts. He placed an ad in newspapers served by the Associated Negro Press, requesting that letters written by black soldiers to their families be sent to the Schomburg Collection. In addition, he conducted interviews with black servicemen and women from 1944 to 1946, and collected memorabilia and other World War II related items. The Lawrence D. Reddick World War II Project Collection, 1943-1953 (bulk 1943-1945) consists of correspondence with black servicemen and women, summaries of interviews Reddick conducted, as well as research files maintained by him. The series Letters and Interviews, 1943-1945 consists of more than a hundred letters that black servicemen and officers, and a few black servicewomen, wrote principally to their families and friends relating the individuals' experiences. The servicemen were stationed in all of the theaters of operation, and some were stateside at various training camps throughout the United States. Of note is a letter Dwight Eisenhower wrote in 1947 in response to a letter from Reddick, stating his opposition to discrimination of American soldiers based upon color or race. Also included in the collection are summaries of interviews Reddick conducted between 1944 and 1946 in Harlem with former servicemen and officers. The interviewees were forthright in their discussions about their experiences with both black and white soldiers and officers, and the people in the countries where they served. There are also summaries of interviews with several black servicewomen and one white serviceman, as well as civilians. Individuals interviewed include William E. Artis (artist), Warren Cuney (writer), Benjamin O. Davis (Air Force General), Ewart Guinier (who later headed the first African-American Studies Department at Harvard University), William H. Hastie (civil rights attorney), Roi Ottley (author and journalist) Leigh Whipper (actor). less

Born in 1913, A. Faulkner Watts was the unit historian for the 369th Infantry Regiment during World War II, and the founding president of Blyden Press, Inc. His translation of Haitian historian Jean Fouchard's book, Les Marrons de la liberté, was published by Blyden Press under the title The Haitian Maroons. The author had a special interest in the life and military career of Alexandre Dumas, the mulatto general from St. Domingue (Haiti) and father of the French author by the same name. He also did research in Caribbean folklore, especially the stick fighting tradition in Jamaica. A. Faulkner Watts died in 1998. This collection documents several aspects of Watts's professional life, including the combat role of the all-black 369th Regiment in the Hawaiian Islands during World War II. Also included are research correspondence and photocopies of documents about the life and military career of General Alexandre Dumas, and correspondence with Haitian historian Jean Fouchard. Additional material include transcripts of interviews conducted in Jamaica and Trinidad on the African stick fighting tradition, and the Blyden Press files which illustrate the difficulties of a small independent black publishing house. less