1941 – Robert L. Carter Enlists to Fight for Freedom

On June 14, 1941, Robert L. Carter, who would later become a legal mastermind behind Brown v. Board of Education, enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces. Carter’s decision to serve came despite the military’s segregationist policies, reflecting a broader struggle among Black Americans who fought for a country that denied them basic rights. After the war, Carter used his legal training and firsthand experience with racial discrimination in uniform to fuel his work with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. He played a critical role in challenging segregation in public education, transportation, and housing. His enlistment wasn’t just patriotic—it was a strategic act that added credibility to his postwar legal activism and underscored the hypocrisy of American democracy. Carter’s military service and legal victories bridged two battles: one overseas and one at home.