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Written by Tanya J.
Tyler, produced by
Angela F. Lewis and
Lafe Taylor. © RP Productions, Inc. All rights
reserved.
War abroad
and at home
It was 1942, and World War II had
TO PLEAD
begun. Many Americans were signing
OUR OWN CAUSE
up to fight for their country.
History of Black Newspapers
But black people faced a unique
in America • PART SEVEN
dilemma: How they could support the
war effort while the Jim Crow laws and
segregation kept them from enjoying the
benefits of full equality in the United States.
Should they fight for a country that treated
effort. He warned black publishers would be
them as second-class citizens?
taken to court under the Espionage Act. (This
This question sparked what became known act prohibited activities that would impede
as the Double V campaign. The “V” for victory the war effort.)
was a well-known symbol during the war, and
Sengstacke said the newspapers were
the Double V campaign seized it for its own,
doing what black newspapers had always
adding a second V so it stood for victory over done: publishing facts black people needed
enemies abroad and at home.
to know. The black newspapers reported
The government saw the campaign as a
incidences of race riots in Army camps in the
threat, believing this kind of information
South and about the Red Cross segregating
would hurt national moral and discourage
blood for wounded soldiers. They were not
black people from joining the war effort.
about to stop fighting to get equal opportuniJ. Edgar Hoover, head of the Federal Bureau ties for black people now, war or no war.
of Investigation, orchestrated hearings about
Biddle and Sengstacke compromised:
black newspapers before a select committee
Biddle would not prosecute any publishof Congress and gave Attorney General Fran- ers if the newspapers would not escalate the
cis Biddle reports about what he considered
Double V campaign during the war.
to be seditious activities by the black press.
The Double V campaign helped lead to
In June 1942, John Sengstacke, publisher
President Harry S Truman’s signing of Execuof The Chicago Defender, met with Biddle.
tive Order 9981 in 1948, which declared “all
In the meeting, Biddle spread a number of
persons in uniform should have equality of
black newspapers on a table. He said they
treatment and opportunity regardless of race,
were writing things that were hurting the war color, religion or national origin.”
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