World War II and Social Equality

World War II and Social Equality World War II was a very important event in American history, but as bad as war is or seems to be there always seems to have better outcomes in the end. By the Japanese bombing Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and bringing America into the war it opened the eyes of all Americans to the problems not only domestically but internationally and the biggest problem that was discovered after the completion of World War II was the level of social equality around the world. It had been a problem that had plagued the world for many years but the atrocities that brought about by the war coupled with the ever growing eye of the media caused for greater concern in the light of social equality in the world. Social equality in America had been a major problem for almost one hundred years at the end or World War II, but one of the many issues of inequality that was raised was the lack of civil rights that were present for individuals of races other than whites. The civil rights movement was and still is one of the most important movements pushing for change in the post war era in America and had significant influences on the government of the time. Soon after the war had began, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) increased their efforts in trying to get combat segregation in housing, transportation, and other areas. The efforts were further motivated by the symbolic victory that occurred in Major League baseball when Jackie Robinson broke through the color barrier by joining the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. His passing of the color barrier was and still is one of the most recognized events in American and civil rights history (Henretta 839). Harry S. Truman’s role on the civil right movement was an important one. He was an advocate of the civil rights movement though he was known for his racial moments in private. However these racial tendencies had to be placed aside for the sake of the nation. One

Cited: Henretta, James A., David Brody, and Lynn Dumenil. America Vol. II : A Concise History since 1865. Boston: Bedford/Saint Martin 's, 2005.