Double V Campaign
Founded by Edwin Harleston in 1907, The Pittsburgh Courier covered the civil rights movement throughout the 20th century as one of the country’s most influential African-American newspapers.
On Feb. 7, 1942, a few months after the U.S. entered World War II, the Courier initiated the Double V Campaign, which stood for victory over discrimination at home and victory abroad over the Axis powers. The campaign pushed for full citizenship rights for African-Americans who were risking their lives for their country overseas. More than a million African-Americans served in U.S. forces during World War II, but when they returned from war, many faced discrimination from the very country they helped defend.
Through the power of the press, The Pittsburgh Courier’s Double V Campaign urged readers to help bring victory abroad by buying war bonds and participating in civilian defense. At home, the campaign demanded “elimination of the ban which prevents loyal and patriotic Negro Americans from full participation in the defense industries of the country.”
The Double V Campaign saw some success, attracting supporters, readers and national attention, but by October 1943, the campaign ended without any legislative changes.
The campaign succeeded in providing a voice for those fighting against discrimination at home, and in 1948, three years after the war ended, President Harry S. Truman signed Executive Order 9981, which led to integrating
Today, the New Pittsburgh Courier continues to serve as a vehicle for African-American expression by publishing an award-winning local edition every Wednesday.
Visitors to the Heinz History Center can learn more about the Double V Campaign as part of the new exhibition “We Can Do It! WWII.” Information: www.heinzhistorycenter.org.