NEW ORLEANS (press release) – On Veterans Day 2024, The National WWII Museum debuted a newly expanded and reimagined version of its Fighting for the Right to Fight: African American Experiences in World War II special exhibition honoring the significant role millions of Black servicemembers and Home Front workers played in securing Allied victory, even as they faced discrimination. This groundbreaking exhibit explores the challenges faced by and accomplishments of African Americans before, during and after World War II, emphasizing the fight for a “Double Victory” against fascism abroad and racism at home. Presented in honor of Corporal Warren J. Donald, Sr. by the Arnold Donald Family and on display in New Orleans thanks to additional support from Dr. Bobby and Mrs. Lori Kent Savoie and Timber and Peggy Floyd, Fighting for the Right to Fight will be open in the Senator John Alario, Jr. Special Exhibition Hall through July 27, 2025, before traveling to other host venues across the country.
“We are pleased to share this important story with the local community and celebrate the service, sacrifice and numerous contributions African Americans made to the war effort, at home and abroad,” said museum President & CEO Stephen J. Watson in a release about the opening. “We look forward to bringing this stirring exhibit to other communities across the nation, spotlighting and honoring African American battalions, Home Front workers and everyday men and women who helped secure Allied victory.”
The original Fighting for the Right to Fight exhibit opened at the museum in July 2015 and subsequently spent six years traveling to institutions across the country, reaching audiences in 12 communities including Los Angeles, Dallas and Omaha. The exhibition was reimagined and expanded by Guest Curator Krewasky A. Salter, PhD, a military historian and retired US Army Colonel who recently served as President of the Pritzker Military Museum & Library in Chicago, and museum Curator & Restoration Manager Cory Graff, along with advisory committee members John H. Morrow Jr., PhD; Adrian R. Lewis, PhD; Marcus S. Cox, PhD; Traci Parker, PhD; and Gregory S. Cooke.
“It has been a privilege to work with The National WWII Museum to significantly expand and give this important exhibition new life,” said Krewasky A. Salter. “The contributions and legacies of African American service during World War II cannot be overstated. Fighting for the Right to Fight recognizes the paths forged by Black servicemembers, civilians and veterans, and serves as a reminder of the continued struggle for justice and equality today.”
With its expanded scope, Fighting for the Right to Fight delves deeper into the rich history of Black military service since the American Revolution, the turbulent decades of progress and setbacks between Emancipation and the outbreak of World War II, and the simultaneous wartime fight against fascism abroad and for equality in American society.
“Fighting for the Right to Fight gives us the opportunity to showcase truly extraordinary but often forgotten stories of the African American men and women who fought for a country that considered them second-class citizens,” said Cory Graff. “Broadening the scope has really allowed us to illuminate new aspects of this history with new artifacts and accounts that weren’t included in the original exhibition.”
From the African American Patriots of the Revolutionary War and those fighting to abolish slavery during the Civil War, to the famed Buffalo Soldiers on the American Frontier, Black men and women have fought for America since before it was a country — and long before they were granted legal rights as US citizens. Despite frequently earning distinction as individuals and units, African Americans faced restricted opportunities and racist stereotypes that would persist in the segregated Armed Forces through both World Wars.
As the United States was thrust into a new global conflict that required massive military and industrial mobilization to win, African American men and women volunteered in record numbers, with more than 1.2 million serving in all branches of the still-segregated Armed Forces during World War II. Even more on the Home Front took advantage of new labor opportunities in defense and other crucial industries. Special and one-of-a-kind artifacts from the museum’s collection highlight these expanded roles filled by African Americans during the war.
Central to the exhibit is the iconic “Double Victory” campaign, which first emerged in early 1942 to emphasize African Americans’ simultaneous fight against fascism abroad and for equality in American society. Although the Allies had achieved victory over fascism, the fight for civil rights and justice raged on in the postwar era as frustrated yet determined Black WWII veterans fueled the growing Civil Rights Movement in America and paved the way for broader social change. The exhibit traces these efforts and achievements, including the desegregation of the Armed Forces in 1948, the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and the long-overdue awarding of the Medal of Honor to seven Black WWII veterans in 1997.
In addition to artifacts, Fighting for the Right to Fight’s digital elements include an interactive world map highlighting the contributions of African American units and servicemembers along with films examining Black Americans’ wartime experiences and their legacy today. We Were There interactive oral history stations allow visitors to hold conversations, powered by AI, with WWII veterans Ambassador Theodore R. “Ted” Britton, a Montford Point Marine; Romay Johnson Davis (1919–2024) of the Women’s Army Corps 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion; and Tuskegee Airman George E. Hardy.
“The legacy of African American service during World War II extends far beyond their contributions to achieving victory in war,” said Erin Clancey, museum associate vice president of collections & exhibits. “Their courage and determination in challenging injustice helped spark momentous social change, from military integration to civil rights progress. This exhibition reminds us that the fight for equality remains unfinished — a constant struggle for ‘victory at home.’ Their stories compel us to confront ongoing inequalities and continue the pursuit of a more just and inclusive society.”
To learn more about the exhibit, the public is invited to a free Opening Reception on Saturday, Nov. 16, at 4 p.m. in the museum’s US Freedom Pavilion: The Boeing Center. The event will feature a conversation between Salter and Graff about the exhibit’s development process and its most important content. The Opening Reception is part of the museum’s daylong Family and Military Appreciation Block Party, which will provide free museum general admission to all Louisiana residents and US military families.
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