Page 3 - Black History Month 2022 - Combined Special Edition of Aerotech News and Review — Nellis AFB - Creech AFB Desert Lightning News

President Truman desegregates U.S. military

In 1940 the U.S. population was more than one million were inducted in all branches of service and in all
about 131 million, 12.6 million of into the armed forces. African Ameri- Theaters of Operations during World
which was African American, or about cans, who constituted approximately War II.
10 percent of the total population. 11 per cent of all registrants liable During World War II, President
During World War II, the Army had for service, furnished approximately Roosevelt had responded to com-
become the nation’s largest minority this proportion of the inductees in all plaints about discrimination at home
employer. Of the 2.5 million Afri- branches of the service except the Ma- against African Americans by issuing
Executive Order 8802 in June 1941,
can Americans males who registered rine Corps. Along with thousands of directing that Black Americans be ac-
for the draft through Dec. 31, 1945, Black women, these inductees served cepted into job-training programs in
defense plants, forbidding discrimina-
tion by defense contractors, and estab-
lishing a Fair Employment Practices
Commission.
After the war, President Harry
Truman, Roosevelt’s successor,
faced a multitude of problems and
allowed Congress to terminate
the FEPC. However, in December
1946, Truman appointed a distin-
guished panel to serve as the Presi-
dent’s Commission on Civil Rights,
which recommended “more adequate
means and procedures for the protec-
tion of the civil rights of the people
of the United States.” When the
commission issued its report, “To
Secure These Rights,” in October
1947, among its proposals were an-
ti-lynching and anti-poll tax laws, a
permanent FEPC, and strengthening
the civil rights division of the De-
partment of Justice.
In February 1948, President Truman President Harry S. Truman
called on Congress to enact all of these
recommendations. When Southern
senators immediately threatened a fili- integration of all the services. ecutive order from the military, but by
buster, Truman moved ahead on civil Executive Order 9981 stated that the end of the Korean conflict, almost
rights by using his executive powers. “there shall be equality of treatment all the military was integrated.
Among other things, Truman bolstered and opportunity for all persons in By mid-1951, more than 18 percent
the civil rights division, appointed the the armed forces without regard to of African Americans in the Army
first African American judge to the race, color, religion, or national ori- were serving in integrated or partially-
Federal bench, named several other gin.” The order also established an integrated units. The change to inte-
African Americans to high-ranking advisory committee to examine the grated units was permanent, if limited.
administration positions, and most im- rules, practices, and procedures of the And most importantly, the integrated
portant, on July 26, 1948, he issued an armed services and recommend ways units were successful. Segregation of-
executive order abolishing segregation to make desegregation a reality. There ficially ended in 1954, with the dis-
in the armed forces and ordering full was considerable resistance to the ex- bandment of the last all-Black unit.
Allen Parker, engineer at NASA Armstrong

by Jaimie Baccus mainly in elementary school, which caused me to act out more.
NASA Armstrong But, I believe these are the years that shaped me to handle what
I would experience later in life and I am thankful for those early
Tell us briefly about your work for NASA and when you first challenges.
knew you wanted to join the agency. Share with us any role models who inspired you.
My background is in electrical engineering and I have been I would say my first role models would be my parents. They al-
working in the area of sensor and system development for both ways inspired me to do my best regardless of what I found myself
ground and flight applications. The last 15 years of my career, doing. My mom inspired my desire to become a NASA engineer.
almost exclusively, has been focused on research and development Charlie Bolden would be yet another inspiration, just from the
of NASA’s fiber optic sensing system (FOSS) technology. I first small amount of time he took to give me a quick tour of NASA
knew I wanted to be an engineer for NASA at 12 years old. When JSC. I never met Charlie again until I was 42 (30 years later)
I was a child I would be excited to see NASA events televised, working at Armstrong when he had become NASA’s new admin-
but I never saw any engineers of color on any related events. I istrator and he came out to Armstrong for a visit.
used to think that becoming a NASA engineer, for a Black kid Explain briefly the importance of education in your upbring-
from the “hood”, was a pipedream, even amidst my mom always ing.
saying, “My son is going to be an engineer for NASA”. Some- Education was always stressed in my home growing up as the
how my father was able to get me a personal tour of NASA JSC, means by which you would accomplish the goals you set in life.
where I met a young new astronaut trainee by the name of Charlie As a young person I didn’t always believe that, but as I got into
Bolden, who was assigned to lead me on a tour. I left NASA that high school and beyond it was a priority to ensure I made the
day believing that I could become a NASA engineer and so I set necessary marks in school. I was not always the fastest learner, so
my goals to doing so. I felt I had to work twice as hard to accomplish the good grades
Tell us whether you’ve overcome any challenges to get where and it paid off.
you are. Share with us any recommendations you may have for others
Growing up, I was not always the smartest kid in the classroom, like yourself who may be contemplating a career at NASA.
as a matter of fact, I was usually the one that got in trouble the If working for NASA is your desire, then endure what it takes
most. And because my father was politically active for equality in to make the grades in school. Sacrifices will have to be made,
the sixties and seventies, I was bused to an all-white elementary make them! Get to know people already in NASA and make your-
school. The combination of the two, being a troublesome kid and self known by them. If possible, participate in NASA sponsored
bused to an all-white school, made my elementary and middle events, education outreaches, etc. Become a part of STEM related
school years challenging. I experienced racism during those years, clubs and be active in sharpening your craft beyond the classroom.

January 28, 2022 Aerotech News and Review 3
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