Local officials gather in Chicago, celebrate 75 years of end of racial segregation in U.S. military

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A celebration was held Friday in Chicago to honor the 75th anniversary of the end of racial segregation in the U.S. Military.

Several Illinois officials joined representatives from the non-profit group "Leave No Veteran Behind" to mark the historic moment in American history and talk about what is still left to do.

"It really gives me a sense of how fortunate I am that people are willing to die so that you and I can stand here," said 32 District Illinois State Representative Cyril Nichols.

President Harry Truman signed an executive order on July 26, 1948, ending racial segregation in the U.S. military.

"It demonstrated that change was possible and that segregation was not an insurmountable barrier."

The Leave No Veteran Behind organization said there are still barriers that have to be taken down, especially when it comes to receiving necessary services.

"African-American veterans go to seek resources from the VA and they will try to link their post-traumatic stress disorder to their time growing up in Chicago versus their time in the military," said Emanuel Johnson with Leave No Veteran Behind outreach.

Johnson said veterans of color in Chicago are missing out on billions of dollars in federal funding because of underutilization.

A 2023 study done by the government accountability office showed Black veterans were denied disability claims 15% more often than their white counterparts. The lack of resources can stem from a lack of support when veterans are on duty, Johnson said.

"They had a ranking system. Even though I was one of the best sailors that were on our ship, I still fell behind some of our white counterparts," Johnson said.

Johnson served in the Navy from 2006 to 2013, and he's one of many who were at the celebration Friday who are working to make sure the systems in place are fair for all people.

"Sometimes we have to fight that same gear," Nichols said. "It's like we always seem to do more with less."

Nichols said he's proud to see the Leave No Veteran Behind organization provide over 2,000 transitional jobs and training to veterans, youth and community members, but he believes more history of Blacks serving in the military needs to be taught in schools.

"We got a lot of work to do," Nichols said.