Camp Howze Museum

Title

"Dear Mr. President" Recorded Interview of Black Americans in Nashville, TN, 1942

Description

00:08-01:31, 01:36-02:42 Recorded interviews with several Black Americans from Nashville, TN addressing President Roosevelt with their concerns regarding discrimination against black citizens and abuse of black servicemen. The Nashville residents interviewed asked President Roosevelt for his understanding and assistance in protecting the rights of black citizens to serve their country.

Transcript:
“...I am thinking of 15 million Negroes who are among the most loyal citizens in the United States. In the face of discrimination and segregation the Negro has remained loyal. What greater proof than a Joe Louis benefit for the navy, a branch of our armed services which has never permitted his race to rise above the ships galley. These millions of negroes are doing all in their power to serve in the presence crisis. Most defense industries are closed to him. The possibility of advancement in the army is definitely limited. If Democracy is to survive. If Democracy is ever to be made to work, our generation must make it work. We want as you do, to perpetuate the democratic way of life. Do all in your power as we are doing to remove the barriers, raise the ceilings, unshackle the loyalties, release the energies and the initiative of this loyal race that together, all Americans, all liberty loving peoples may give their all that our way of life may survive.”
01:36-2:42 Mrs. Julia T. Glavin of Nashville, TN. “Mr. President, in this section of the United States it seems to me that there are two outstanding problems confronting us now. They have to do with our negro soldiers and taxation. In certain parts of our country the uniform of our army is not properly respected. Our loyal black boys in uniform should be protected while they’re in camp. The ruthless beating up and murdering of them should be stopped. This sort of thing breaks down the morale of any army. Every loyal soldier is an important factor in our defense program. It’ll take a lot of money to win this war. We’re going to win and we’re going to sacrifice all we have for our country, but it has become a problem to know how to meet these new taxes and keep up the old ones with our limited incomes which have not increased with the increased demand of heavy taxation. If we borrow we are plunged into debt, and citizens in debt cannot present as strong a defense as we desire, but we have pledged ourselves to do our best.”

Date

1942

Source

Jones, Lewis Wade, Charles Spurgeon Johnson, Mertyl Copeland, W.S Ellington, Grafton Luby, Alexander Luvey, Carrie Timberlake, and Pam Tucker. "Dear Mr. President," Nashville, Tennessee, January or February. Nashville, Tennessee, 1942. Audio. https://www.loc.gov/item/afc1942003_sr39/.

Subject

Racism

discrimination

World War II

WWII

World War 2

WW2

Black Americans

black service members

black soldiers

Camp Howze

Jim Crow

U.S. military

greatest generation

Dear Mr. President

President Roosevelt

Dr. W.S. Ellington, Jr.

Julia T. Glavin

Nashville, Tennessee

audio recording