Effects of WWII on Women and African-Americans

Paper Summary:

This paper shows how World War II profoundly affected the attitudes of women and African Americans towards American society at large. Racism and sexism was common and frequently considered "normal" prior to war, but the military experiences of African Americans and work on the home-front by women altered their beliefs about the social system they lived in, leading them to challenge and not accept racism and sexism.

From the Paper:

"One major effect World War II had on American society was that it showed the oppressed women and African-Americans at that time that they should no longer suffer silently through the sexism and racism that was pressed against them. As many women and blacks served in various parts of the military, they realized that no matter how hard they tried, or how good they were at what they did, they were never given the recognition they deserved. There was no such thing as equal opportunity. If you were a white male, you were given the higher rank, better employment location, and anything else that would attempt to show you as the superior. After the war was over and they ultimately realized their full potential, they more fervently joined the fight to merely be treated as equals in the society in which they lived. World War II changed the lives and attitudes of many Americans as it gave a big push on the door that opened to a world in which racism and sexism no longer existed. As Dellie Hahne realized and many others could relate to, "The war directly influenced the rest of my life" (120)."

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