End of Discrimination Quotes

This article was written after the successive Supreme Court decisions on June 5, 1950 that found segregation in certain cases unconstitutional.

Despite the critical need of the war, racism was so extensive in the WWII military that Blacks were relegated to menial duty of cooking, truck driving and construction but were actually not allowed to fight at the beginning despite the fact that many had volunteered. Many whites—especially the southerners—were convinced that Negroes could not fight, that they lacked the courage and commitment. The need for troops in the Pacific theater was so great that in the invasion of Saipan that was so difficult, Black troops were committed to the fight and performed brilliantly. The Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Vandergrift was not only the first Marine 4 star general who was on active duty, but he personally was a recipient of the Medal of Honor. When he spoke, all marines and many others in the service listened. This was the break-though. Negroes in combat was no longer some kind of social experiment for most Marines except the most vitriolic rascists.

Quoted in the Court’s notes of the meeting. At the time the justices were split 5-4 with the majority reluctant to overturn segregation. They tended to be much older and from the South. Jackson was prescient. Shortly thereafter Chief Justice Vincent passed away and Earl Warren replaced him. The 5-4 majority was for desegregation now. However, Warren negotiated with the minority and finally produced a unanimous opinion against legal segregation. As Jackson had predicted, “it had come.”