American Historical Ephemera and Photography

"The War's Greatest Scandal! The story of Jim Crow in Uniform"
plus order form "What Can You Do About Military Jim Crow?"

[With:] "No Trade Schools for Negro Veterans" promotional flyer.

6 x 9 in. printed flyer with two inserts (toning to the margins, detached cover pages, and flaking to the corners).

Flyer published by "The March on Washington Movement" condemning the continued presence of segregation in the American military in the midst of the Second World War. With a foreword by E. Pauline Myers, and written by journalist Dwight Macdonald. Within the flyer are articles discussing multiple cases of African American servicemen subjected to mistreatment and violence, the case of Winfred Lynn, who went to court to challenge his being drafted into a segregated army, as well as commentary on policy changes in the US Navy and US Army Air Corps until early 1943.

Founded in 1941 by A. Philip Randolph and Bayard Rustin, "The March on Washington Movement" initially planned to stage a march into Washington DC in order to demand action from President Roosevelt and others in the government regarding segregation in the defense industry, within the military, and the scant opportunities to work and to serve which were categorically denied to African American applicants. With tensions on the rise in anticipation of such a demonstration, President Roosevelt signed executive orders forbidding racial discrimination in the defense industry, and in federal vocational and training programs. As a result, the eponymous march never took place, but the parent organization continued its operations until 1947. This pamphlet provides further context to the movement by reflecting on the waves of race riots that followed World War I. Further, it affirms the necessity of pursuing nonviolent action in support of change, anticipating the form of action that post-war Civil-Rights advocates would follow.