Blacks in the Army Air Forces during World War II [electronic resource] : the problem of race relations / by Alan M. Osur.
This book is based upon a Ph.D. dissertation written by an Air Force officer who studied at the University of Denver. Currently an Associate Professor of History at the Air Force Academy, Major Osur's account relates how the leadership in the War Department and the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) tried to deal with the problem of race and the prejudices which were reflected in the bulk of American society. It tells a story of black racial protests and riots which such attitudes and discrimination provoked. The author describes many of the discriminatory actions taken against black airmen, whose goal was equality of treatment and opportunities as American citizens. He also describes the role of black pilots as they fought in the Mediterranean theater of operations against the Axis powers. In his final chapters, he examines the continuing racial frictions within the Army Air Forces which led to black servicemen protests and riots in 1945 at several installations.
Electronic resources
Record details
- Physical Description: 1 online resource (227 pages, 4 unnumbered leaves of plates) : illustrations
- Publisher: Washington, D.C. : Office of Air Force History, 1977.
- Distributor: Washington, D.C. : For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office [2020]
Content descriptions
- General Note:
- Includes index.
- Bibliography, etc. Note:
- Bibliography: pages 207-217.
- Formatted Contents Note:
- The War Department and the Black community -- The Army Air Forces : early policies and practices -- The Army Air Forces : Black officers and flying units -- 1943 : era of change -- Problems, protests, and leadership -- Confrontation at Freeman Field -- The postwar surveys -- Conclusion.
- Source of Description Note:
- Description based on PDF title page, viewed September 17, 2020.
Search for related items by subject
- Subject:
- United States. Army Air Forces > African American troops.
African Americans > Segregation.
World War, 1939-1945 > Participation, African American.
Additional Physical Form Titles
| Blacks in the Army Air Forces during World War II. |
Accessibility Features
Summary:
This book is based upon a Ph.D. dissertation written by an Air Force officer who studied at the University of Denver. Currently an Associate Professor of History at the Air Force Academy, Major Osur's account relates how the leadership in the War Department and the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) tried to deal with the problem of race and the prejudices which were reflected in the bulk of American society. It tells a story of black racial protests and riots which such attitudes and discrimination provoked. The author describes many of the discriminatory actions taken against black airmen, whose goal was equality of treatment and opportunities as American citizens. He also describes the role of black pilots as they fought in the Mediterranean theater of operations against the Axis powers. In his final chapters, he examines the continuing racial frictions within the Army Air Forces which led to black servicemen protests and riots in 1945 at several installations.
