Wave of Terror Against Black WWII Veterans Returning Home in 1946

In 1946, a documented wave of violence targets Black veterans returning from WWII, particularly in the South. Sergeant John C. Jones is lynched in Minden, Louisiana. Private First Class Authur McDuffie is killed in uniform in Georgia. Veteran Sergeant Macio Snipes is murdered after voting. Veterans are attacked for wearing uniforms, asserting rights, or refusing to show deference. The NAACP documents at least 56 Black men and women lynched in 1946, six of them veterans. The violence reflects white terror at the prospect of Black soldiers demanding the democracy they fought for.