How did World War II change opportunities for African-Americans?

World War II led to change for African-Americans in several ways. First, it created job opportunities for many African-American men and women in essential war industries. Most of the higher-paying jobs in industry had gone to whites before the war, but many Black men and women moved to cities around the country (especially the North and the Pacific Coast) to take advantage of these opportunities. This was a continuation of a process that began with...

World War II led to change for African-Americans in several ways. First, it created job opportunities for many African-American men and women in essential war industries. Most of the higher-paying jobs in industry had gone to whites before the war, but many Black men and women moved to cities around the country (especially the North and the Pacific Coast) to take advantage of these opportunities. This was a continuation of a process that began with World War I, and it marked a significant demographic shift in American history. 

Another change wrought by the war was that African-Americans served in massive numbers, and while many were relegated to non-combat roles, many were not, and their exploits (the "Tuskegee Airmen," for example) were followed with pride by African-American communities back home. These men still served in segregated units, however, and faced rampant discrimination in the military. 

Overall, the major opportunities opened by the war were ideological. The war was framed as a war of liberation from regimes whose claims of racial superiority were central to their ideology. Many pointed out the hypocrisy of African-Americans fighting to defend a Jim Crow society. At home, many black leaders called for a "Double-V" campaign--victory against totalitarianism abroad and racism at home. Many historians, in fact, view the war as a major catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement that began just a few years later. Black servicemen who had risked their lives for their country were in no mood to tolerate the systemic racism that confronted them when they returned home.