D.B.Q.

High School- 11th Grade

Topic:
WWII - Minority Participation in Military Units ​- African Americans

Standards:
Strand 1: Concept 8: World War II
PO 2​. Describe the impact of American involvement in World War II:
a. movement away from isolationism
b. economic recovery from the Great Depression
c. homefront transformations in the roles of women and minorities
d. Japanese, German, and Italian internment and POW camps
e. war mobilization ( e.g., Native American Code-Talkers, minority participation in military
units, media portrayal)
f. turning points such as Pearl Harbor, D-Day,
Hiroshima/Nagasaki

Explanation​: This DBQ would be used in a 11th Grade, US History class during a World War
II. Unit, specifically during the turning points of the war. The different sources help give students
a full understanding of the different roles that African American men and women played
throughout WWII.

Question:
During the turning points of WWII what was the impact African Americans played in the war
effort? Were they looked at any differently after the war because of the impact they made? Use
the sources below and find 3 pieces of evidence to support your argument, make sure to use
citations.

Directions to Students​: Using a minimum of four sources (2 primary and 2 secondary) generate
an effective thesis statement to explain the role of African Americans during World War II. The
paper length should be 5 paragraphs including an Introduction and Conclusion paragraph. The
majority of your paper should analyze the impact of the African Americans during the war and
how they were treated following the war due to their effort, use the sources to support your
analysis. In your concluding paragraph give your opinion on the impact and the role that African
Americans played.
Grading Criteria​: Students will be graded on their thesis statement and their 3 specific pieces of
evidence provided to support their thesis. Students will be graded on paragraph transition and
overall flow of the paper. The assignment is worth 25 points, and the content should directly
reference the sources. Be sure to cite your sources in APA format.

Grading Notes:​ Below is evidence that students may daw from the provided primary sources
and documents when creating their response. Students answers will not be considered as
incorrect if they don’t match the possible explanations given.

Document 1​-
● African Americans have often been the victims of ​racial oppression throughout the
history of the United States, however they have always supported the nation, especially
during wartime. At the time when the war broke out, African Americans used the war as
a platform to show their patriotism and gain freedom from oppression.

Document 2​-
● African Americans essentially had a two front battle. One at war fighting against the axis
powers, and the second being at home fighting for the civil liberties. This so called two
front battle for the african americans was called “fighting for a double victory.” Not only
were schools, restaurants, buses and other places at home segregated, but so was the
military.

Document 3​-
● African American women made a large impact within society during World War II.
These women stepped up and helped the war effort by becoming nurses to help heal the
wounded soldiers. The women helped at home at Pearl Harbor and overseas in different
countries.

Document 4​-
● The Tuskegee Airman made a breakthrough on how the world had perceived African
Americans at the time. These men going into the military were only first viewed as an
“experiment” to the American government because they had been labeled as less
competent as white folk. The original 33 men in the unit went on to become war heroes
during World War II and help push for more African Americans to serve in the military.
These men would be a pushing force in the Double V campaign.
Source 1: PRIMARY

‘Above and beyond the Call of Duty”,

http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/193291
Source 2: SECONDARY

https://www.nationalww2museum.org/sites/default/files/2017-07/african-americans.pdf
Source 3: PRIMARY
https://www.archives.gov/files/research/african-americans/ww2-pictures/images/african-america
ns-wwii-141.jpg
Source 4: SECONDARY
​https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/oh/tuskegee.pdf
Sources Cited

1. D​avid Stone Martin, “​Above and Beyond the Call of Duty​” printed by U.S. Government
Printing Office published by Office of War Information​ (1942)
http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/193291
2. African Americans in World War II Fighting for a Double Victory​ [PDF]. (n.d.). New
Orleans: The National World War II Museum.
https://www.nationalww2museum.org/sites/default/files/2017-07/african-americans.pdf
3. Meyer. (n.d.). ​U.S. Army nurses, newly arrived, line the rail of their vessel as it pulls into
port of Greenock, Scotland, in European Theater of Operations. They wait to disembark
as the gangplank is lowered to the dock.​ [Photograph]. National Archives In ​National
Archives​. Retrieved November 14, 2017, from
https://www.archives.gov/files/research/african-americans/ww2-pictures/images/african-ame
ricans-wwii-141.jpg​. (Originally photographed 1944, August 15)
4. ​Moye, J. (2002). The Tuskegee Airmen Oral History Project and Oral History in the National
Park Service. ​The Journal of American History,​ ​89​(2), 580-587. doi:10.2307/3092176