July 26, 2008 marks the 60th anniversary of the integration of the armed forces.The existence of integrated rather than segregated armed forces is an important factor in our military establishment today. The experiences in World War II and the postwar pressures generated by the civil rights movement compelled all the services—Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps—to reexamine their traditional practices of segregation. All of them reached the same conclusion: traditional attitudes toward minorities must give way to democratic concepts of civil rights.
STORIES
Defense Department Commemorates 60 Years of Armed Forces Integration
The Defense Department commemorated the 60th anniversary of the armed forces’ integration today at the Pentagon... More -Watch Video-
Army's Senior Black Female Aviator Retires
In 1980, Christine B. "Nickey" Knighton became just the second black woman in the United States to earn the right to wear aviator wings within the Department of Defense... More
Gen. Colin Powell (Ret.) Addresses the Rotunda About the 60th Anniversary of Armed Forces Integration
Colin Powell speaks at the Capitol Rotunda ceremony marking the 60th Anniversary of the Integration of the Military. More
The Brunson Family Remembers Integration
Serving in the Army is a family tradition for the Brunson family of Fayetteville, N.C. More
Sixty Years After Integration, Opportunities Abound for Minority Soldiers
By the time the Army was officially desegregated on July 26, 1948, Joe Murchison already was a proud member of the 82nd Airborne Division... More
Diversity is a National Security Issue
Ensuring the Army’s force is diverse now goes far beyond the initial integration of blacks into the service 60 years ago, the Army’s top personnel officer said today... More
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SLIDESHOWS
RESOURCES
- Army Senior Leader Message
- Army Diversity Office
- Army History and Heritage
- African Americans in the U.S. Army
- American-Indians in the U.S. Army
- Asian-Pacific Americans in the U.S. Army
- Hispanic Americans in the U.S. Army
- Integration of the Armed Forces: 1940-1965
- U.S. Army Center of Military History
- U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center
- Women in the U.S. Army
- DefenseLink: 60 Years of Integration