Irving museum's new exhibit highlights history of African Americans during WW2
IRVING, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) — A new exhibit focused on the experiences of African American people during the Second World War is coming to a museum in Irving, a spokesperson said Wednesday.
The Irving Archives & Museum will feature the special exhibit, which is called "Fighting for the Right to Fight: African American Experiences in World War II" and is produced by the National WWII Museum. It opens on Friday, Jan. 27, and features materials including artifacts, photos, and oral histories that illuminate the challenges and triumphs African Americans faced during the Second World War – both at home and overseas.
Before and during the war years, Black people in many parts of America were subjected to systemic discrimination and largely treated as second-class citizens. The Supreme Court's 1886 decision in Plessy v. Ferguson had not yet been overturned, and the Jim Crow "separate but equal" regime was still the law of the land in many states – including Texas.
But even their experiences with oppression and racism at home did not stop thousands of African American people from rushing to enlist and fight for freedom, despite the inequality they faced at home. The exhibit is intended to show how many who enlisted were inspired by securing equality, segregation in both combat and non-combat roles, and how the fight for "Double Victory" influenced the Civil Rights Movement.
Among the pieces featured in the exhibit is an original eight-minute video about the Tuskegee Airmen narrated by TV personality Robin Roberts, whose father flew with the Airmen during the war. Other stories featured document the experiences of Sammy Davis Jr., Medgar Evers, and many other less well-known African American people who served during World War II.
The exhibit will run through April 14, 2023.
