How a British sense of justice saved black American GI wrongly sentenced to death in WW2

Discussion in 'United Kingdom' started by davidbfpo, Aug 9, 2022.

  1. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    A short academic historian's article, which opens with:
    Link: How a British sense of justice saved black American GI wrongly sentenced to death in WWII

    I have a recollection of reading one aspect of the history, a rape case, but nowt found here. It is probably the linked article within: Black troops were welcome in Britain, but Jim Crow wasn't: the race riot of one night in June 1943

    There are two threads on wider British attitudes to the USA and Murders; neither are suitable home for this.

    Curious given all the commentary on historical prejudice here that the author notes:
     
  2. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    David look at this plus a number of threads on here
    “They treated us royally”? The experiences of black Americans in Britain during the Second World War
    'They treated us royally'
    Evelyn Clarisse Martin-Johnson, who served in Birmingham in 1945 as a postal clerk, describes her treatment by the English people in this interview
    Lasting impact


    Service in Britain and Europe gave black American troops the opportunity to sample aspects of daily life that were not wholly impacted by a formal, institutional colour bar. Racist attitudes were by no means absent from British society, but the generally more cordial treatment by the British civilian population underlined for many the injustices of Jim Crow. On their return to the US, many black veterans were galvanised to campaign for greater political and economic freedoms, and in particular led drives for voter registration across the southern states. Around a third of the leaders of the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s were veterans of the Second World War.

    African American soldiers based in UK during WW2
     
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  3. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    Clive,

    Thanks, those threads provide more context and detail. Though the article I found was about British justice or notions of, rather than the visiting African-American or black servicemen.

    Very informative IWM photo, which I assume was taken after VE-Day? Alas the IWM have not added a caption.
     
    Last edited: Aug 9, 2022
  4. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    This one ?
    AMERICANS IN BRITAIN, 1942 - 1945



    [​IMG] AMERICANS IN BRITAIN, 1942 - 1945. © IWM (EA 18861) IWM Non Commercial License
     
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  5. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    Thanks, I followed the IWM link to the photo and found no information.
     

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