- During the 1920s, America experienced significant social change. The women's rights and prohibition movements were strong and effective. Southern blacks continued to migrate to northern cities for industrial jobs. The Ku Klux Klan, born in the post-Civil War south, rose again, attracting new members and new abuses against African-Americans. The early civil rights actions chipped away at segregation and paved the way for change in later years. In 1948, President Harry Truman issued Executive Order 9981, which began the process of eliminating racial segregation in the U.S. armed forces.
- Black soldiers and sailors served their country in segregated battalions, with separate barracks, bathing and dining facilities from their white counterparts. All of their commanders were white, but white officers considered such assignments as a stigma and unworthy of their talents.
- African-Americans served in combat only when absolutely necessary in World Wars I and II, but there was no combat in the 1920's. Black soldiers and sailors performed noncombat support roles and menial duties such as cooking and cleaning on distant posts.
- Segregation continued throughout the 1920s and 30s. The military recruited blacks during World War II in the early 1940s, but still assigned them to their traditional support roles. As the war expanded, the U.S. Navy began to experiment with integration because it was more efficient and economical than managing separate facilities on ships with limited space. The U.S. War Department authorized a few all-black combat units during World War II. They served with distinction and helped to pave the way for desegregation in later years.