26 July 1948
Military desegregation order
United States; Black service members
President Harry S. Truman issued Executive Order 9981, establishing a policy of equal treatment and opportunity in the armed services regardless of race, color, religion or national origin. It created an advisory committee to examine military rules and practices and recommend changes.
Dates preserve the source’s precision. This entry is part of a selected historical record; its qualifications and sources are retained below.
Context / qualification
The order required implementation as rapidly as possible while allowing time for changes without impairing efficiency or morale. Issuance did not mean immediate integration in practice; the National Archives describes military resistance and integration over subsequent years.
Sources
- Howard Zinn, The Twentieth Century: A People’s History, H00 at 00:23:40 (approximate; supplied recording); research provenance only, recording and underlying source trail not rechecked
- Primary document: Executive Order 9981, 26 July 1948, sections 1–3 (Truman Library transcript) ↗
- National Archives: Executive Order 9981, historical introduction, final paragraph (implementation and resistance) ↗