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It was perhaps the most important civil right achievement in US history. On #TDIDCH: July 26 1948, POTUS Harry Truman signed Executive Order 9981 ending discrimination in the military.
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Truman’s order ended a long-standing practice of segregating Black soldiers and relegating them to more menial jobs. [footnote: the Women& #39;s Army Corps was open to black soldiers prior to EO 9981].
![2 of 6:Truman’s order ended a long-standing practice of segregating Black soldiers and relegating them to more menial jobs. [footnote: the Women& #39;s Army Corps was open to black soldiers prior to EO 9981].](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ed2tqCAXkAAnHBK.jpg "2 of 6:Truman’s order ended a long-standing practice of segregating Black soldiers and relegating them to more menial jobs. [footnote: the Women& #39;s Army Corps was open to black soldiers prior to EO 9981].")
Truman’s order ended a long-standing practice of segregating Black soldiers and relegating them to more menial jobs. [footnote: the Women& #39;s Army Corps was open to black soldiers prior to EO 9981].
3 of 6: Truman didn& #39;t want to do this. For more than 2 years, however, civil rights activist A. Philip Randolph had been placing political pressure on Truman by inspiring key parts of the country w/ tales of black soldiers during WWII. [Truman was 99 days away from an election]
![3 of 6: Truman didn& #39;t want to do this. For more than 2 years, however, civil rights activist A. Philip Randolph had been placing political pressure on Truman by inspiring key parts of the country w/ tales of black soldiers during WWII. [Truman was 99 days away from an election]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ed2tH4YWAAAJ5yB.jpg "3 of 6: Truman didn& #39;t want to do this. For more than 2 years, however, civil rights activist A. Philip Randolph had been placing political pressure on Truman by inspiring key parts of the country w/ tales of black soldiers during WWII. [Truman was 99 days away from an election]")
4 of 6: While this morning many websites are commemorating Truman today, Randolph is a figure worthy of honor today. For Truman, EO 9981 was a political calculation. For Randolph, it was an effort to transform American society.
5 of 6: While neither the country was transformed immediately (many Army uniformed / civilian leaders, including SecArmy Kenneth Claiborne Royall, refused to desegregate the Army for a year + after the order), EO 9981 stands as a profound and lasting achievement for the Nation.
![FINAL TWEET: Despite setbacks [& with acknowledged more work to do] it& #39;s hard to find any American institution that has been as successful or effective in making systemic racial integration work. So, here& #39;s to you, A. Philip Randolph, from all of us!](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ed2xbqLXoAE46HW.jpg "FINAL TWEET: Despite setbacks [& with acknowledged more work to do] it& #39;s hard to find any American institution that has been as successful or effective in making systemic racial integration work. So, here& #39;s to you, A. Philip Randolph, from all of us!")
