Fighting for the Right to Fight

New Exhibition opens September 28, 2018

In the years leading up to World War II, racial segregation and discrimination were part of daily life for most African Americans, and even the most basic rights and services were fragmented or denied altogether. When World War II began, thousands of African Americans enlisted in the Armed Forces, intent on serving the nation that treated them as second-class citizens. This is their story.

Fighting for the Right to Fight examines how hopes of equality inspired many to enlist, the discouraging reality of the segregated noncombat roles given to black recruits, and the continuing fight for “Double Victory” that laid the groundwork for the Civil Rights Movement.

The oral histories, profile panels, and artifacts, tell wartime stories of individual service members who took part in this extraordinary challenge, from unheralded heroes to famous names-including Alex Haley, author of Roots (US Coast Guard); Benjamin Davis, Jr. (US Army Air Forces); Medgar Evers (US Army); and more.

The centerpiece of the exhibit is an original eight-minute video about the Tuskegee Airmen, who in many ways became the focus of African American participation during the war. The video is narrated by TV personality Robin Roberts, whose own father flew with the Tuskegee Airmen during the war.

For tours, contact Mary Lauderdale

Presented by National Touring Sponsor

Local Sponsors:
Joint Logistics Managers, Inc.
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Military Institute