Answer:
They were discriminated. There were only four
U.S. Army units under which African
Americans could serve. Prior to 1940,
thirty thousand blacks had tried to enlist in
the Army, but were turned away. In the
U.S. Navy, blacks were restricted to roles
as messmen. They were excluded entirely
from the Air Corps and the Marines. This
level of inequality gave rise to black
organizations and leaders who challenged
the status quo, demanding greater
involvement in the U.S. military and an end
to the military’s segregated racial practices.