Meaning:
Contributions of Black Americans to the birth of our nation were largely unrecorded and soon forgotten. Many Black people sacrificed everything for a country that did not treat them equal. Many stories are lost to time because of this.
Even though we fought with distinction in both World Wars, racism/segregation continued in segregated sections, training, & barracks when back home. Accounts of this racism and physical violence against these veterans just garnered national attention in 1948, when the “Executive Order 9981” which called for equality of treatment of the Armed Forces was signed.
Entry into the Armed Forces was turned into an opportunity to be freed from bondage & enslavement. Black people had to advocate and earn personal freedom.
