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Continuity or Change? African Americans in World War II
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Author: Karen Hodges, Academy for College & Career Exploration, Baltimore City Public School System
Grade Level: High School
Duration: two 90-minute periods
Overview:
Many historians have posed the question: "Was World War II a watershed event in the African-American Civil Rights Movement?" During the war, the "Double V" campaign of the black press called for victory over fascism abroad and racism at home. In this lesson, students will investigate primary-source materials to develop an understanding of the experience of African Americans in the war overseas and on the home front. In doing so, they will consider whether the contradictory gains made in the areas of civil rights, housing, work and military service represented a break with the past or a continuation of the status quo.
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