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Date Created:
Year Created: 1948
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On July 26, 1948, President Harry Truman issued two executive orders. One instituted fair employment practices in the civilian agencies of the federal government; the other provided for “equality of treatment and opportunity in the armed forces without regard to race, color, religion, or national origin.” On July 31, 1948, the Chicago Defender, one of the most powerful black owned and edited newspapers in the country, published the headline "President Truman Wipes Out Segregation In Armed Forces." Executive Order No. 9981 issued by President Truman provided for "equality of treatment and opportunity in the armed forces without regard to race, color, religion, or national origin." This was the first time that a president used an executive order to implement civil rights principles and was a major victory for civil rights advocates in the quest for full citizenship. Despite these orders, full integration of African Americans in the armed services was carried out slowly. It was not until the end of the Korean conflict that full integration of the armed forces had been achieved.
Source: “President Harry Truman Wipes out Military Segregation.” President Harry Truman Wipes Out Military Segregation (Educational Materials: African American Odyssey), 31 July 1948, www.loc.gov/exhibits/odyssey/educate/truman.html.
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