A false sense of equality: The black Canadian experience of the Second World War

Abstract

A false sense of growing equality pervaded the black experience of the Second World War. Although blacks were not segregated from serving alongside whites, restrictive enlistment policies were utilized by the military out of racial assumptions and the fear that their inclusion could cause racial animosity within units. Yet, these patterns coincided with the reality that, because of the considerable need for manpower, several thousand blacks did serve throughout the war. Prejudice was also plainly evident on the homefront. While the war created new and more jobs opportunities, racial limitations remained and blacks were hired to perform menial tasks and work in secondary roles. This thesis seeks to fill the gap in the limited scholarship on the status of black Canadians in the Second World War, and prove that, while there were some positive trends, overall blacks did not achieve a greater level of equality with the white majority.