Truman orders desegregation of the armed forces

President Harry Truman signs Executive Order 9981 on July 26, 1948, declaring equality of treatment and opportunity in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion, or national origin. The order creates a presidential committee to help implement the policy. Black veterans and civil rights advocates had pushed the federal government to confront segregation in the military after fighting in World War II. Implementation takes time, but the order becomes a major federal desegregation milestone. The commander in chief uses executive authority to challenge formal racial segregation in a major national institution.