Coming of Age in Mississippi | Historical Context
African Americans in the 1940s
World War II offered increasing economic opportunities for many African Americans, as the war machine demanded soldiers and factory workers. Almost one million African-American soldiers served in the armed forces; however, they were forced to serve in segregated units. Most were kept out of combat. Although at first many war plants would not hire African Americans or would only hire them as janitors, the 1941 Fair Employment Practices Committee changed this practice. It helped protect African Americans from employment discrimination. An executive order...
[The entire page is 1170 words long]
Join eNotes
The above is a free excerpt. Get total access to this content with the:
Summary and Analysis – Themes – Characters – And much more...
Navigate
- Add Coming of Age in Mississippi to your favorites
Tell a friend about Coming of Age in Mississippi at eNotes.