When Harry Truman outlawed having a segregated army he did not foresee just how much of an impact it would have on easing racial tensions. The Civil Rights movement and the start of the Vietnam War both helped bring racial inequality to the surface and helped end racial thought for many. Army Integration had a profound effect on racism during the Vietnam War helping ease tensions between races with minor resistance.
The integration of the army had a positive effect regarding racism unlike America because troops had their lives in the hands of soldiers of different race. George Lawrence and Thomas Kane state in their academic article Military Service and Racial Attitudes of White Veterans, that “The U.S. military, unlike civilian America, has …show more content…
Sue Monk Kidd states in her Novel The Secret Life of Bees that “We can’t think of changing our skin… Change the world” (216). The effects of an integrated army were completely unintentional yet it helped relieve racial tensions during this time period and helped soldiers see their comrades as comrades instead of by lowering their status by race. The integration of the army helped start the idea that people from any race would start at equal footing from one another.
The effect of racism were nullified in the army in units that contained a mix of different races. The effects of an integrated military in these units were overwhelmingly positive and had a huge impact on changing the mentality of soldiers who served with African Americans in the war. The soldiers who did not feel the effects of army integration had little change in their racial mentality proving that army integration was a step toward true equality for all races and helped end racial mentalities with few …show more content…
Instead racist soldiers would still continue their ways and be allowed to mock African Americans. Troops racist remarks were found everywhere and some openly showed their racism. African Americans were expected to tolerate flags of the confederate flag on many forms of transportation and even Klu Klux Klan members being stationed in some of the bases in Vietnam. Army integration had no effect on relieving racial tensions for the American people. Integration of the army had a profound effect on changing the mindset of many American soldiers. For the first time in American history, african americans could work side by side in the same unit with white soldiers and see themselves as equals in the battlefield. Although there were some negative repercussions from racism due to the integration the overall effect helped end racial ideas for many white veterans when they returned
The integration of the army had a positive effect regarding racism unlike America because troops had their lives in the hands of soldiers of different race. George Lawrence and Thomas Kane state in their academic article Military Service and Racial Attitudes of White Veterans, that “The U.S. military, unlike civilian America, has …show more content…
Sue Monk Kidd states in her Novel The Secret Life of Bees that “We can’t think of changing our skin… Change the world” (216). The effects of an integrated army were completely unintentional yet it helped relieve racial tensions during this time period and helped soldiers see their comrades as comrades instead of by lowering their status by race. The integration of the army helped start the idea that people from any race would start at equal footing from one another.
The effect of racism were nullified in the army in units that contained a mix of different races. The effects of an integrated military in these units were overwhelmingly positive and had a huge impact on changing the mentality of soldiers who served with African Americans in the war. The soldiers who did not feel the effects of army integration had little change in their racial mentality proving that army integration was a step toward true equality for all races and helped end racial mentalities with few …show more content…
Instead racist soldiers would still continue their ways and be allowed to mock African Americans. Troops racist remarks were found everywhere and some openly showed their racism. African Americans were expected to tolerate flags of the confederate flag on many forms of transportation and even Klu Klux Klan members being stationed in some of the bases in Vietnam. Army integration had no effect on relieving racial tensions for the American people. Integration of the army had a profound effect on changing the mindset of many American soldiers. For the first time in American history, african americans could work side by side in the same unit with white soldiers and see themselves as equals in the battlefield. Although there were some negative repercussions from racism due to the integration the overall effect helped end racial ideas for many white veterans when they returned