Media Invited to Special Viewing of Desegregation Artifact

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. – The Harry S. Truman Library and Museum is commemorating the 70th anniversary of President Truman issuing an executive order desegregating the armed forces with a special artifact display and a public program.

On Thursday, July 26 at 11 a.m., the media is invited to a special viewing of Truman’s copy of Freedom to Serve, the report prepared after the president signed Executive Order 8891, desegregating the military. The President’s Committee on Equality of Treatment and Opportunity in the Armed Services was established when Truman signed Executive Order 9981 to assess the rules, practices and procedures of the armed forces and implement his order to integrate. The book is signed by committee head Charles Fahy and was featured on a recent episode of the Travel Channel’s “Mysteries at the Museum.”

Dr. Sam Rushay, supervisory archivist of the Truman Library, will be on hand to discuss the artifact and its historical significance.

The first president to address the NAACP, Truman signed his name to two documents – Executive Orders 9980 and 9981 – desegregating the federal workforce and the armed forces on July 26, 1948. 70 years later, the Truman Library is hosting this special commemoration of the numerous actions Kansas City’s hometown president took to advance civil rights, including convening the President’s Committee on Civil Rights and signing Executive Orders 9980 and 9981.

Later that evening, the commemorative day will culminate in a public program at 6:30 p.m. featuring Col. Norma J. Bradford (USA Ret.) sharing the insights of her career in the U.S. Army and her rise from second lieutenant to colonel. Bradford will be joined by Rawn James, author of Double V: How Wars, Protest, and Harry Truman Desegregated America’s Military. Their conversation will focus on the historical impact of Truman’s executive order to desegregate the military and view it through the lens of Bradford’s military career.