Fighting for Freedom

This passage explains how African Americans contributed to World War II but returned home to face discrimination. Over one million served in the U.S. military, yet they were segregated and often denied respect despite their bravery. Leaders like A. Philip Randolph pressured President Roosevelt to end discrimination in defense industries. After the war, many Black veterans hoped their service would lead to equality, but instead they faced racism in jobs, housing, and daily life. These experiences fueled the Civil Rights Movement, showing that the fight abroad for democracy needed to match the fight at home.

Reading this type of passage improves comprehension by connecting war history with civil rights. Students expand vocabulary with military and legal terms like “veterans,” “discrimination,” and “segregated.” They strengthen inference skills by understanding the irony of fighting for freedom overseas but lacking it at home. Grammar skills improve through sentence analysis in cause-and-effect passages. Finally, such reading fosters empathy and awareness of historical struggles.