AFRICAN AMERICANS FIGHTING FOR A DOUBLE VICTORY OPENS SEPT. 23
New Exhibit at National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center in Wilberforce, Ohio
WILBERFORCE, OH Sept. 11, 2017–A new long-term exhibit, African Americans Fighting for a Double Victory, opens Sat., Sept. 23, 2017, at the Ohio History Connection’s National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center in Wilberforce, Ohio.
Using World War II documents, artifacts, and memorabilia from the museum’s collection, it explores the story of African Americans who served on the home front and in the military during the Second World War, and of the impact they had on advancing civil rights in the decades that followed.
Dr. Charles Wash, director of the National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center, says the exhibit looks at the breadth of African American service during World War II. “Like all Americans, blacks at home bought war bonds, grew victory gardens, conserved resources and supported the troops with letters to family members and friends in uniform,” he says.
The exhibit includes images by African American artist Charles Alston (1907–1977), whose illustrations featuring black Americans, commissioned by the Office of War Information, energized African American support for the war effort at home and abroad.
“In the exhibit, you’ll find some familiar stories like that of the Tuskegee Airmen along with some that are less familiar today, like stories of the Red Ball Express and black celebrities who entertained the troops,” he added. “You’ll also find interviews from Wilberforce African American veterans of World War II talking about their experiences.”
The exhibit also features stories of national civil rights activists who sought to end discrimination in military and wartime-production employment, and who were active in the “Double V” campaign, calling for a “Double Victory” over enemies abroad and discrimination at home.
It closes with a look at the impact that African Americans who served on the home front or in the military during World War II had on the postwar civil rights movement and resulting advances in black civil rights and political empowerment after the war.
African Americans Fighting for a Double Victory will be on exhibit through Sept. 20, 2022.
Located at 1350 Brush Row Rd. in Wilberforce, Ohio, the National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center is open Weds.–Sat. 9 a.m.–4 p.m. National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center admission is $6, $5/senior, $3/ages 6–17 and Free/Ohio History Connection member or age 5 & under.
For more information, or to learn about scheduling group tours, call 800.752.2603 or visit ohiohistory.org/naamcc.
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About the National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center
Established in 1988 in Wilberforce, Ohio, the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center (NAAMCC) shares the history, art and culture of the African American experience and serves as a gathering place for the community. For more information on programs and events, call 937.376.4944 or visit ohiohistory.org/naamcc.
About the Ohio History Connection
On May 24, 2014, the Ohio Historical Society changed its name to the Ohio History Connection. Established in 1885, this nonprofit organization provides a wide array of statewide services and programs related to collecting, preserving and interpreting Ohio’s history, archaeology and natural history through more than 50 sites and museums across Ohio, including its flagship museum, the Ohio History Center in Columbus. For more information about programs and events, call 800.686.6124 or go online at ohiohistory.org.
