Fighting for Democracy: Black Veterans and the Struggle Against White Supremacy in the Postwar South

Fighting for Democracy: Black Veterans and the Struggle Against White Supremacy in the Postwar South by Christopher S. Parker

This is an academic work that originally started out as the author's doctoral thesis. It feels like half the text consists of references and commentary on the sources. The author uses interviews and survey data to explore how experience in the military impacted black servicemen in the fight for civil rights.

Blacks had served in the military from the time of the revolutionary war. The book provides narratives of those that had served on all wars. However, the research focus was on those that served during World War II and Korea. The military still enforced a form of Jim Crow, with separate black units. However, this become somewhat untenable. There became some relaxing of Jim Crow out of resource constraints. During Korea, the military was legally integrated, but still had some remnants of Jim Crow in practice.

Veterans were exposed to different race relations in the military. When overseas, the locals typically treated them as Americans, without distinguishing their race. They also had more balanced relationships with the other GIs. (Though still with extensive Jim Crow.) They developed strong black republicanism and respect for their country. They saw that they were capable and treated better and expected that when they came home. They were disappointed when they didn't see it. They were willing to speak out physically.

As a whole, black veterans were more conservative than the black populace, but much. more liberal than whites. They were more willing to be physically involved in the quest for racial integration. While they may have similar desires and views of the general populace, they were more willing to take risks to see it was carried out.