On July 26, 1948, President Truman signed Executive Orders 9980 and 9981, ending racial segregation in the federal workforce and in the U.S. Armed Forces.
In honor of the 75th anniversary, these two original documents will be on display from July 25 to August 1, 2023, in the West Rotunda Gallery of the National Archives Museum.
In 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt upheld segregation in the Armed Forces, believing integration would threaten military efficiency and increase racial tension.
President Harry S. Truman eventually organized a Presidential committee and based part of his 1948 campaign on civil rights. After winning that election, Truman was stymied by congressional inaction and called for a special session of Congress.
On July 26, President Truman signed Executive Orders 9980 and 9981 ending racial segregation in the federal workforce and in the U.S. Armed Forces. Without Congress’s blessing, the President of the United States can issue an executive order, which carries the force of law. Truman and his advisers hoped a desegregated military and workforce could be a model for the rest of American society.
Tune in at 7:30 p.m. ET, on Thursday, July 27, and join us for the keynote address, “Freedom to Serve,” hosted at the National Archives Building as part of the Truman Civil Rights Symposium.
Livestream: • Keynote Event: Freedom...
Reel: Jennifer Johnson, curator, shows Executive Order 9980, Regulations Governing Fair Employment Practices Within the Federal Establishment, and Executive Order 9981, Establishing the President’s Committee on Equality of Treatment and Opportunity in the Armed Services. Both documents show Harry S. Truman’s signature and the date July 26, 1948.