Black GIs, English women, and ‘brown babies’ (1944-1950) |
Black GIs, English women, and ‘brown babies’ (1944-1950)
Mix-d: Museum: Timeline
Mix-d:
2012-07-10
During the period 1942-45 around one million US servicemen were based in England as part of the preparations for the invasion of Europe in June 1944 and around 130,000 (13%) of these were Black (African American) GIs. This caused endless worry for British officials who were reluctant to support American segregation practices formally, but were nevertheless highly concerned about the possible growth of interracial relationships and ‘half-caste babies’ in Britain. British authorities tried to discourage relationships between white British women and black – and other minority ethnic – troops in a number of ways: social segregation at dance halls, pubs and cinemas, restrictions put on female military staff, police surveillance and ‘whispering campaigns’. These actions did little, however, to stop these interracial relationships. The black troops tended to be popular with Britons, who tended to oppose the American idea of segregation, and they were particularly popular with white British women, much to the angry bewilderment of white American GIs…
Read the entire timeline section and view the video clip here.