Background

The Port Chicago Disaster:

​​​​​​​Communicating the Racial Injustice in the Armed Forces

Jim Crow Laws

Jim Crow laws were enacted after the Civil War, aimed at segregating African-Americans into second-class citizens. During the 1930’s and early 40’s these laws prevented Blacks  from equal opportunities in employment and education. The impact of this class system kept African-Americans in poverty, receiving an inferior education and scarcer employment opportunities.

"Seperate but equal" ~ Plessy v Ferguson, 1896

Segregated waiting room for colored people  ​​​​​​​(Source) Britannica

Segregation declared legal in Plessy v. Feguson(Source) Britannica

Segregated drinking fountain  ​​​​​​​(Source) Britannica

1930's

​​​​​​​African-Americans working during Great Depression (Source) Library of Congress


The Great Depression disproportionately affected African-Americans. Almost half were unemployed and racial violence spiked, especially lynchings in the south. President Franklin Roosevelt gave African-Americans a new hope for equality, by including black people in his cabinet, and entertaining African-American visitors at the White House.

African-Americans in Great Depression (Source) Insider


However, in practice, African-Americans were subject to much discrimination. Roosevelt's New Deal projects were unfair to African-Americans by favoring whites in employment and housing. Legislation, including an anti-lynching bill endorsed by Eleanor Roosevelt, didn’t pass.

Letter from Eleanor Roosevelt against lynching 

(Source) Library of Congress

1950-60's: Civil Rights Movement

Returning home at the end of WWII,  African-Americans were outraged because segregation persisted, even after they risked their lives for their country. This fury helped fuel the Civil Rights Movement in the 50’s and 60’s. African-Americans  staged marches and sit-ins to bring attention to racial inequalities. Slowly, Jim Crow laws were dismantled. These acts of civil disobedience eventually led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which banned racial discrimination. ​​​​​​​

Nonviolent sit-in (Source) African-American Civil Rights Movement

Civil Rights march in Washington    (Source) Scientific America

Protest in Georgia, led by Martin Luther King Jr. (Source) AARP

Thesis
Military Background