This thesis is an attempt to fill a void in the master narrative of African American World War II history by exploring the obscure case of Winfred W. Lynn, an African American man whose refusal to serve in a segregated army resulted in one of the most significant, yet overlooked legal tests of segregation in the twentieth century. Using the case Lynn v. Downer as the primary lens of analysis, the intention of this thesis is to give insight into the Lynn case, demonstrate the significance of wartime black protest, and to provide a deeper comprehension of the obstacles African American draft resisters faced in the military, civilian legal system, and black community throughout World War II. This thesis also examines the role of traditional black institutions such as the NAACP and black press in the public depiction of African American draft resisters. A precursor to the 1954 school desegregation case Brown v. Board of Education, the Lynn case is a bittersweet example of early attempts made by the black community to combat racial segregation through the courts and federal legislation. It also represents the first time the Supreme Court was approached with the issue of segregation within a federal institution. As such, this thesis subtly emphasizes how the critical nature of the war helped to conceal the War Department, U.S. Army, and judicial system’s use of pre-existing racial tensions and legal loopholes to bend the law in their favor and violate the nondiscrimination provisions of the Selective Training and Service Act of 1940.
Subject (authority = RUETD)
Topic
History
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
African American soldiers--History
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
United States--Armed Forces--African Americans
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
World War, 1939-1945
RelatedItem (type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Rutgers University Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier (type = RULIB)
ETD
Identifier
ETD_6510
PhysicalDescription
Form (authority = gmd)
electronic resource
InternetMediaType
application/pdf
InternetMediaType
text/xml
Extent
1 online resource (vi, 75 p.)
Note (type = degree)
M.A.
Note (type = bibliography)
Includes bibliographical references
Note (type = statement of responsibility)
by Melissa A. Geddis
RelatedItem (type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Graduate School - Newark Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier (type = local)
rucore10002600001
Location
PhysicalLocation (authority = marcorg); (displayLabel = Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)
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