It's Time to Force a Change

Abstract

For the African-American press, proclaiming that there would be no “Close Ranks” during World War II was not enough. This article looks at how the African-American press, in conjunction with other civil rights organizations, used the dual victory campaign to bridge the gap between the African-American consciousness that wanted to continue the fight for equality during the war and the patriotic American consciousness that wished to wholeheartedly support the war effort. It explore show the African-American press responded to specific acts of discrimination and segregation that led to violence and apathy among African Americans. The discriminatory policies of the dominant culture heightened double-consciousness as espoused by W.E.B. Du Bois and led the African-American press to adopt the principles of the Double V campaign as a way of helping African Americans cope with the duality of American democracy.