Sources: Information for this article was compiled from U.S. military documents, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration material and other sources. For additional information on the role of African Americans in the U.S. military, visit the Department of Defense website at: Related Source: An additional encyclopedia article on the participation of African Americans in the U.S. military is available at Desegregating the U.S. Military Executive Order 9981 – On July 26, 1948, President S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981 establishing the President's Committee on Equality of Treatment and Opportunity in the Armed Services, committing the government to integrating the segregated military. In 1940, the U.S. population was 131 million, 12.6 million of which was African American, or about 10 percent of the total population. During World War II, the Army had become the nation's largest minority employer. Of the 2.5 million African Americans males who registered for the draft through December 31, 1945, more than one million were inducted into the armed forces. African Americans, who constituted approximately 11 per cent of all registrants liable for service, furnished approximately this proportion of the inductees in all branches of the service, except the Marine Corps. Along with thousands of black women, these inductees served in all branches of service and in all Theaters of Operations during World War II. During World War II, President Roosevelt had responded to complaints about discrimination at home against African Americans by issuing in June 1941, directing that blacks be
Sources: Information for this article was compiled from U.S. military documents, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration material and other sources. For additional information on the role of African Americans in the U.S. military, visit the Department of Defense website at: Related Source: An additional encyclopedia article on the participation of African Americans in the U.S. military is available at Desegregating the U.S. Military – Executive Order 9981 On July 26, 1948, President S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981 establishing the President's Committee on Equality of Treatment and Opportunity in the Armed Services, committing the government to integrating the segregated military. In 1940, the U.S. population was 131 million, 12.6 million of which was African American, or about 10 percent of the total population. During World War II, the Army had become the nation's largest minority employer. Of the 2.5 million African Americans males who registered for the draft through December 31, 1945, more than one million were inducted into the armed forces. African Americans, who constituted approximately 11 per cent of all registrants liable for service, furnished approximately this proportion of the inductees in all branches of the service, except the Marine Corps. Along with thousands of black women, these inductees served in all branches of service and in all Theaters of Operations during World War II. During World War II, President Roosevelt had responded to complaints about discrimination at home against African Americans by issuing in June 1941, directing that blacks be