Racial segregation in the United States Armed Forces
Summary
A series of policies were formerly issued by the United States Armed Forces which entailed the segregation of white and non-white American servicemen, prohibitions on the recruitment of people of color and restrictions of ethnic minorities to supporting roles. Since the American Revolutionary War, each branch of the U.S. military implemented differing policies surrounding racial segregation. Racial discrimination in the U.S. military was officially opposed by Harry S. Truman's Executive Order 9981 in 1948. The goal was equality of treatment and opportunity. Jon Taylor says, "The wording of the Executive Order was vague because it neither mentioned segregation or integration." Racial segregation was ended in the mid-1950s.
Originally created by Pseudo-Richard
12/4/2012, 4:33:51 AM
Modified
5/29/2026, 9:22:22 PM
Recent revisions
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corrected wording
"Segregation" is a more commonly used term.
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