The G.I. Bill created the prosperity & laid the groundwork for the American superpower. But the postwar boom stopped at the color line. Black American frustration at discriminatory distribution of G.I. benefits would soon erupt into the modern Civil Rights Movement. These discriminatory practices and systemic barriers faced by Black -American veterans under the G.I. Bill had far-reaching consequences that persist today.

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  • D. Elisabeth Glassco@mastodon.socialOP
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    1 year ago

    Black veterans, like their white counterparts, sought VA-guaranteed low-interest mortgages and loans to establish homes and businesses. Although the GI Bill provided low-interest mortgages and loans, the VA could only cosign, not guarantee them. This allowed white-run financial institutions to freely deny mortgages and loans to Black individuals.

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    • D. Elisabeth Glassco@mastodon.socialOP
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      1 year ago

      The majority of Black applicants were rejected by racially biased banks, as observed by the National Urban League. Redlining, a discriminatory practice, further hindered Black veterans from purchasing homes by characterizing them as high-risk borrowers. This meant that most black Americans were confined to underinvested cities.

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          • D. Elisabeth Glassco@mastodon.socialOP
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            1 year ago

            Even those Black veterans who managed to secure loans faced organized resistance and violence from white homeowners. As a result, when Black WWII veterans reached the age when wealth typically peaks, the median net worth of their households was significantly lower than that of white households, with a difference of $100,000.

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              • D. Elisabeth Glassco@mastodon.socialOP
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                1 year ago

                Over a million Black men served in the military during the war and were eligible for educational benefits, including tuition payments and a stipend for college or training. However, the impact of military service and educational benefits differed by race and geography. Black men returning to the segregated South faced limited opportunities at historically Black institutions.

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                • D. Elisabeth Glassco@mastodon.socialOP
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                  1 year ago

                  The G.I. Bill, which provided educational support to World War II veterans, was race-neutral in its terms. But in practice, it was another matter. The G.I. Bill had different effects on educational attainment for Black and white veterans. Despite the promise of reducing educational gaps, it actually widened the economic and educational differences. Many Black veterans couldn’t afford to forgo work and take advantage of the bill’s benefits.

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                  • D. Elisabeth Glassco@mastodon.socialOP
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                    1 year ago

                    Even for those who did pursue education, Black veterans faced significant disadvantages compared to their white counterparts. Poor preparation in public education, lack of prior educational attainment due to poverty and social pressures, and racial barriers prevented Black students from accessing universities. Black veterans were often left out as Northern universities hesitated to admit them, while Southern colleges barred their admission.

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