In addition to the above steps towards equality, I would
say that some of the initial actions integrating our society were taken directly by the
federal government in the form of Executive Orders issued by Presidents Roosevelt and
Truman.
In large part due to the threat of a strike led by
A. Philip Randolph, Roosevelt ordered equal pay be given to black workers in defense
industries. While this did not directly cause us to be any more integrated than before,
it was an important step in that direction.
President
Truman was even more aggressive, and in 1948 he simply ordered the military to
integrate, since he was the Commander-in-Chief. This meant he didn't have to go through
a hostile and segregationist Congress.
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