Navy B-1 Band
Chapel Hill, Orange County, North Carolina
Marker Inscription
Navy B 1 Band. In May 1942 a group of 44 African American musicians broke U.S. Navy's color barrier, enlisting at general rank. Barracks were 1/4 mi. W.
Erected by North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
The Story
In May 1942, as the nation mobilized for World War II, forty-four African American musicians enlisted together at Chapel Hill and broke the United States Navy's color barrier by entering at general rank. Known as the Navy B-1 Band, they were among the first Black sailors admitted beyond the messman's role the Navy had long reserved for them. Their music opened a door the service had kept shut.
Why it matters
The B-1 Band's enlistment was an early crack in military segregation, foreshadowing the desegregation of the armed forces and the wartime roots of the civil rights movement.
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Related events
- · Enlistment of the Navy B-1 Band, 1942
Themes & tags
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