due by 8PM

You bring up some very important figures of the day. Many of these artists, soldiers and athletes challenged the perceptions and stereotypes of the era. As an OPTIONAL Follow Up, I'd like you to elaborate (in your words) on how these people challenged stereotypes. For instance, how might one see the following phrase " Coming from a culture where music and dancing were a part of their everyday life, some African Americans used their talents to enter the music, dance, and art world," as being an exaggeration and/or stereotype? And again, how did these specific individuals (that you mentioned) defeat this idea? And/or you may discuss how Jesse Owens (and/or Jackie Robinson) defeated the stereotypes of how a Black athlete was supposed to behave or participate in organized sports?

This is a nice start to the week.

Russell

The war had the critical effect on African Americans on the because of the war followed the Great migration, which was one of the biggest America migrations of a group of individuals in history. The migration reshaped African Americans and the country overall. African Americans faced many obstacles like, financial, social and political difficulties that incited their movement to the North. They were cognizant of their birthplace yet; their servitude limited the ability to practice their culture, values, beliefs, etc. During the war, art galleries and museums started exhibiting the work of African Americans artists that encompassed the way of life of the period. The social presence was constrained by European aesthetic and by racial inclination. To expand the their work, numerous African Americans artists headed to Europe in order to increase the visibility of their work. During the Great Depression, new open doors emerged for African American artists. African artists at this time used to sell their art straight to people instead of by gallery or agents.

The war radicalized African Americans and solidified the dedication to battle white racial cruelty of this era. Their racial conditions failed to improve greatly after the war, and these wars achieved enormous change in this position. The war permitted black men and women to obtain citizenship, consider government responsibility and challenge racial discrimination. They were given new land and consequently they staked claiming democracy. Therefore, war brought about the defining moment to African Americans to battle racial generalizations that pervaded the way of life of the time.

Anatoli

Analyze how African Americans were able to create cultural power during the war era? How did African American soldiers, artists and entertainers (sports or stage) combat racial stereotypes that permeated the culture of the era?

During the war era, African Americans find themselves involved in a war for a country that was not even allowing them to be full citizens, a country who instead of upholding them as an important part of society, was oppressing them and discriminating them for the color of their skin. African Americans realized at some point during the war that the threat to the nation was bigger than their struggle since it was affecting countries such as Ethiopia, Liberia, and Haiti which was black countries, when these countries were invaded, African Americans responded by getting deeply involved in the world crisis with activist groups all over the United States.

 

During the year 1935, African American communities got organized all over the Unites States and sent aid to all three of the black nation being destroyed by the cataclysm of war under the leadership of people such as Salaria Kee, and John West both in the healthcare field.

 

In the military, the discrimination for African Americans was just as much as it was in the civilian world, racial policies derived from negative attitudes and discriminatory practices based on an underdeveloped study by the American War College that concluded African Americans were physically unqualified for combat duty, were by nature subservient and mentally inferior to the white race. Because of this study, the Department of Defense (War Department) also concluded that although they would be taken into the military, African Americans would be segregated and serve only in the non-combat military positions. Initially, the Marine Corp nor the Air Force accepted blacks in their ranks but that later change which allowed recruits such as Steven Robinson one of the first African Americans to join the Marines in 1942, Robinson excel at all his tasks and impress his Marine instructors and commanders earning him a promotion to platoon sergeant.

 Emmanuel

During the war era specifically World War II African Americans were still placed in inferior roles if placed in roles at all.  The marines did not allow African Americans to join until the second World War. In the Navy sailors were only allowed in positions such as cooks, or the boiler room.  Even with act of heroism from members of the service like Doris Miller a cook aboard a vessel during Pearl Harbor shot down two to six enemy aircraft and rescued his commanding officer.  Miller received the highest award possible to receive and was returned to duty in the mess hall.  Unlike the Navy the Army Air Force created an all-black pursuit squadron of fighter planes and the training program at Tuskegee Army Air Field, Alabama, for black pilots. Unlike other army units, the 99th Squadron and the 332nd Group, had black officers. In the Marines the first blacks allowed to be a marine had to train at Montford Point near Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, instead of Paris Island, South Carolina where all the other marine went to train.  Many African American service members were used to being treated unequally at least those from the south for those of the north this was the first time many felt the effects of segregation.  After the war many refused to accept the injustice and contributed to the beginnings of the civil rights movement.  African Americans refused to allow white supremacy to prevent them from creating a meaningful place for themselves in American society. For instance, in sports like baseball between the time of Moses Fleetwood Walker the last black man to play baseball with white men until Jackie Robinson joined the Dodgers in 1947 around 60 years later.