American and Indigenous Studies Program, Africana Studies Program, Historical Studies Program, and Sociology Program Present
Mustering a Military in Black and White: America’s World War II Draft and the Making and Meaning of Race
Monday, September 17, 2018
Olin Humanities, Room 102
4:45 pm – 6:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
4:45 pm – 6:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
Thomas A. Guglielmo, Associate Professor of American Studies, George Washington University
Anyone with a passing knowledge of the World War II–era U.S. military likely knows that it was segregated. Less well known, surprisingly, is who was segregated from whom, exactly, and how the military made these decisions. Neither was simple or straightforward. My talk will explore a long-forgotten chapter of this larger story: the fraught and complex struggle over inductees’ “proper” racial classification and placement in the segregated World War II–era military. Drawing on a variety of federal records from the army, the Selective Service System, and the courts, I trace the stories of an eclectic mix of Americans —Waccamaw Siouans, Chickahomines, Creoles, Puerto Ricans, Cape Verdeans—who fit neatly into neither of the military's catchall categories of “white” and “colored.” In the process, I shed light on the evolving meaning and boundaries of race—from official state policy down to ordinary people’s attitudes and actions.For more information, call 845-758-6822 x7667, or e-mail [email protected].
Time: 4:45 pm – 6:00 pm EDT/GMT-4
Location: Olin Humanities, Room 102