Examines the impact of the World War II period on African-American civil rights, in the broader context of the New Deal era of the 1930s and the Cold War era of the 1950s.

Introduction: The African American and war in historical context -- African Americans on the eve of war : from new Negro to New Deal, 1920-39 -- Mobilizing for war : the arsenal of democracy and the struggle for inclusion -- Fighting for freedom : changing military policy and the Black experience, 1941-45 -- Conflict on the home front : resistance, riot, and social change -- The post-war years and changing civil rights : "an American dilemma."