They
took special pride in stories of heroism about Negro soldiers.
When Hitler and his racist philosophy went down in defeat, they
felt that they had achieved a personal victory and that at the
same time they had made a contribution to America and the world.
Thus, as the war came to a close and Afro-Americans looked
forward to the postwar years with both apprehension and
determination, they feared that, with the foreign antagonism
eradicated, racist feeling at home might increase. At the same
time, they were possessed by a new drive to make American
democracy into a reality. The ideological character of the war
had reminded them of America's expressed ideals of brotherhood
and equality. Their participation in the war convinced them that
they were worthy of full citizenship. Many had broken the bonds
of tradition which had held them in fear and apathy. Some had
left their communities to fight in the Army, and some had moved
into large urban centers to work in defense industries. Although
the war against racism abroad had ended, they were intent to see
that the struggle for racial freedom and equality at home would
continue.
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