Dr. D. Elisabeth Glassco

On July 15, 1944, in Bristol UK, the "Park Street Riot,” saw 400 Black soldiers confront 120 U.S. Military Police (MPs) over pub access. Observers later recounted that locals rooted for the Black troops. Like the Battle of Bamber Bridge a year earlier, this event underscored the racism Black troops faced as well as the disconnect between how they were treated overseas vs in their own country.

1/

@[email protected] @BlackMastodon #BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #BlackHistory #Military
#WW2 #UK

Aug 20, 2023 at 10:33pmWeb
Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 20, 2023

In the lead-up to D-Day, Bristol and its neighboring regions hosted nearly 300,000 American service members, including a small number of women. Approximately one-tenth of this number were Black-Americans. Notably, the majority of these men stayed behind as the invasion of Europe approached.

2/

#BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #BlackHistory #Military #WW2 #UK #StillWeRise

Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 20, 2023

In the lead up to World War II, the United States of America was a deeply racist and segregated country. By design, discrimination and racism was burrowed into the fabric of American society---institutionalized! Indeed, by 1940, over three-quarters of black Americans lived in southern states enforcing the notorious "Jim Crow" laws.

3/

#BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #BlackHistory #Military #WW2 #UK #StillWeRise

Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 20, 2023

These laws, more oppressive in some states than others, separated white and black Americans in areas like education, housing, and public transport. Distinct spaces for whites and blacks existed in Southern shops and buses, with African Americans consistently receiving inferior facilities.

4/

#BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #BlackHistory #Military #WW2 #UK #StillWeRise

Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 20, 2023

Black Americans migrated in significant numbers to northern states during the interwar years, seeking better-paying jobs. Although these states didn't enforce Jim Crow laws, discrimination, and racial unrest remained widespread.

5/

#BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #BlackHistory #Military #WW2 #UK #StillWeRise

Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 20, 2023

The American military structure reflected societal beliefs. Military leaders often sidelined Black soldiers in combat, assigning them to segregated units responsible for secondary duties like army logistics or navy stoker roles. Many white servicemen, especially southerners, believed the military shouldn't include Black Americans.

6/

#BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #BlackHistory #Military #WW2 #UK #StillWeRise

Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 20, 2023

Yet, black Americans proved their worth throughout the war, especially in intense battles like the 1944 Ardennes offers (the Battle of the Bulge), where commanders called upon every available soldier.

7/

#BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #BlackHistory #Military #WW2 #UK #StillWeRise

Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 20, 2023

The 'Tuskegee Airmen', comprising the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group, achieved one of WW2's most impressive combat records. For a black American to train as a WW2 pilot, he had to outperform his white counterparts.

8/

#BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #BlackHistory #Military #WW2 #UK #StillWeRise

Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 20, 2023

Numerous Black American soldiers stationed in Bristol were positioned near the docks, with barracks located in places like Bedminster, Brislington, Henleaze, Shirehampton, and the Muller Orphanage at Ashley Down.

When the first Americans reached the UK in 1942, British authorities decided not to challenge the American practice of segregation or upset white American sensibilities.

9/

#BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #BlackHistory #Military #WW2 #UK #StillWeRise

Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 20, 2023

The profound racism within the US Army led to regular conflicts between black and white GIs, often escalating to violence.

Fistfights commonly erupted in pubs where black and white GIs mingled, especially if black soldiers engaged in conversations with white British women. Some incidents even involved gunfire, primarily from white soldiers aiming at Black soldiers.

10/

#BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #BlackHistory #Military #WW2 #UK #StillWeRise

Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 20, 2023

Major General Ira Eaker, the commander of the Eighth Air Force, stated that white troops instigated 90% of these altercations, which also included a few fatalities, all concealed by the US Army.

11/

#BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #BlackHistory #Military #WW2 #UK #StillWeRise

Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 20, 2023

Bristol authorities made an attempt to deter British women from socializing with Black American soldiers. The advisory committee of the Ministry of Information for Bristol noted that “individual and unofficial warnings should be spread about” through the Women’s Voluntary Service and housewives’ groups.

12/

#BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #BlackHistory #Military #WW2 #UK #StillWeRise

Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 20, 2023

Local women were discouraged from interacting with Black American troops and advised to avoid them on streets, distance themselves if seated near one in a theater, and expedite their service in shops indicate that Black soldiers shouldn't come back. Most pointedly, local white women were advised that “on no account must coloured troops be invited into the homes of white women.”

13/

#BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #BlackHistory #Military #WW2 #UK #StillWeRise

Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 20, 2023

After these guidelines were published, uproar ensued in newspapers across the country. Also, a confidential note from a high-ranking British officer surfaced, recommending that Britons avoid mingling with “negroes,” alleging they were “of a simple mental outlook” and lacked “the white man’s ability to think and act to a plan.”

These sentiments were widely criticized, annd everyday Britons voiced opposition.

14/

#BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #BlackHistory #Military #WW2 #UK #StillWeRise

Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 20, 2023

In Bristol, numerous black soldiers played roles in supply logistics, with many functioning as dockers or driving the distinct ‘Deuce and a half’ trucks. They resided in (segregated) accommodations around the city – such as the Drill Hall in Old Market, the Muller orphanage in Ashley Down, and residences in Henleaze, among other locations.

15/

#BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #BlackHistory #Military #WW2 #UK #StillWeRise

Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 20, 2023

Broadly speaking, Black soldiers endured lengthier workdays and lesser living conditions compared to white soldiers.

Bristol's residents viewed the U.S. military's racial discrimination as preposterous. In fact, Britons found Black soldiers more polite, orderly, and engaging than their white counterparts.

16/

#BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #BlackHistory #Military #WW2 #UK #StillWeRise

Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 20, 2023

In 1943, NAACP chief. Walter White, journeyed to Britain and deduced that in England, many Black American soldiers encountered “their first experience in being treated as normal human beings and friends by white people.”

17/

#BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #BlackHistory #Military #WW2 #UK #StillWeRise

Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 20, 2023

A U.S. reporter in Gloucestershire remarked that “negroes were welcomed with open arms on a footing of complete equality.”

Multiple historians like the one below have commented that residing in England was transformative for black Americans, catalyzing the Civil Rights movement. Black G.I.s were increasingly reluctant to accept the treatment meted out by their white peers.

18/

#BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #BlackHistory #Military #WW2 #UK #StillWeRise

Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 20, 2023

Given this environment, it's unsurprising that hostilities between black and white Americans occasionally escalated to physical confrontations. Causes ranged from black soldiers facing maltreatment to issues of romantic rivalry. In Bristol, where a significant number of Black Americans resided, local white women often dated black soldiers, leading to several altercations.

19/

#BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #BlackHistory #Military #WW2 #UK #StillWeRise

Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 20, 2023

Larger “race riots” between the two white and black American troops transpired in places like Chipping Norton (November 1943), Bamber Bridge in Lancashire (June 1943), and Launceston in Cornwall (September 1943). However, tensions peaked in Bristol post-D-Day, even after many American troops had departed.

20/

#BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #BlackHistory #Military #WW2 #UK #StillWeRise

Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 20, 2023

On July 15, 1944, in Bristol, escalating tensions peaked as a group of black soldiers, angered by being denied entry to what they perceived as premier local pubs, assembled on Park Street and Great George Street. Some of the Black soldiers were accompanied by white British women and were stopped by MPs. Fights erupted.

Soon, over 400 black soldiers clashed with 120 Military Police. Buses cordoned off the affected streets.

21/

#BlackMastodon #Histodons #History #Military #WW2 #UK

Show threadScott marsroverdriver MaxwellAug 21, 2023

@Deglassco I had never thought about this, but it makes complete sense. I thought of getting sick all the time as a fact of life until we all started masking and suddenly I wasn't. I thought of the negative physical and mental health effects of office work as a fact of life until WFH showed me they weren't.

So how much more must these soldiers have experienced the same: thinking of their horrendous, racist mistreatment as a fact of life -- until they suddenly saw that it didn't have to be.

Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 23, 2023
@marsroverdriver indeed. It was a wonderful revelation that turned into butter disappointment when they came back to America.
Show threadAngry CentristAug 20, 2023
@Deglassco You may be working on more posts for this thread, so apologies if I'm jumping ahead but one infuriating thing I only learned in the last decade or so is how many Black veterans were denied GI Bill benefits on their return to the US.
Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 23, 2023
@dkbgeek yes, they were.
Show threadL’Etat C’est MoiAug 20, 2023
@Deglassco I never think about their contribution without also remembering the disrespect — hate — they endured while sacrificing for a nation that refused them human rights.
Show threadNicole ParsonsAug 21, 2023

@letatcestmoi @Deglassco

That mistreatment of veterans continues to this day.

Under the pretext of abortion, Tuberville is punishing the armed services for failing to support the Jan 6 coup.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/tubervilles-hold-military-promotions-apply-cq-brown-rcna86291

It's holding up military promotions & retirement benefits for thousands of POC and women serving the national defense.

Republicans want a re-segregated military converted into a fascist movement.
https://theintercept.com/2022/11/06/jan-6-far-right-us-military/
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/amanpour-and-company/video/journalist-the-link-between-trumps-indictments-and-the-kkk-d/
https://www.csis.org/analysis/military-police-and-rise-terrorism-united-states

Tuberville’s hold on military promotions would apply to CQ Brown

Sen. Tommy Tuberville is delaying confirmation of military officials, including Biden's pick for chair of the Joint Chiefs, in protest of a DOD abortion policy.

NBC News
Show threadDavie DuckAug 21, 2023
@Npars01 @letatcestmoi @Deglassco Tuberville is a #ShitStain
Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 23, 2023
@letatcestmoi Indeed.
Show threadexcited for the mastodon riseAug 20, 2023

@Deglassco iirc they did it with inferior planes too...p-40s, p-39s, and older p-51 models. ..

Not sure about the bomber group

Show threadisotope239 🥸💻🇺🇦😣Aug 20, 2023
@Deglassco One of the last Tuskegee Airmen still living attended their National Convention just this past weekend in Albuquerque NM: https://www.abqjournal.com/news/97-year-old-vet-is-in-town-to-preserve-legacy-of-tuskegee-airmen/article_88e33f32-3d68-11ee-aa37-fbc34765e5b8.html
97-year-old vet is in town to preserve legacy of Tuskegee Airmen

When Brig. Gen. Enoch “Woody” Woodhouse II received his commission as a second lieutenant in December 1946, he was assigned to the 332nd Fighter Group, better known as the Tuskegee

Albuquerque Journal
Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 23, 2023
@isotope239 thank you. He has incredible achievements—-especially given the era in which he served.
Show threadisotope239 🥸💻🇺🇦😣Aug 23, 2023
@Deglassco Truly a remarkable man; there was a matching story about General Woodhouse on the television news last week as well. The reporter spoke with him during a break in the convention proceedings. Similarly to General Powell, while naturally impressed with his lifetime achievements, I was also impressed by his sense of humor as he was speaking with the reporter. That always speaks to me of someone who is not only highly intelligent, but also empathetic to others.
Show threadexcited for the mastodon riseAug 20, 2023

@Deglassco and again... the armament here is a hand me down instead of the stuff the white units would get. 😠

A bren instead of a Browning .30 or BAR

Show threadStrange Culprits HAS MOVEDAug 21, 2023
@Deglassco @[email protected] @BlackMastodon It truly warms our hearts to know that, somewhere, an ardent bigot will cry upon seeing this picture
Show threadDorothy BishopAug 21, 2023
@Deglassco @[email protected] @BlackMastodon
took a while to decode this, as for a Brit, MP is Member of Parliament 🙄
Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 23, 2023
@deevybee yes, my mistake. I changed it.
Show threadblueorangeblueAug 21, 2023

@Deglassco @[email protected] @BlackMastodon

Thanks for the thread.

As a side note, there has been recent acknowledgement of Bristol's historic role in the slave trade with the overdue renaming of a local concert hall and the toppling of the statue of Edward Colston ... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Edward_Colston

Statue of Edward Colston - Wikipedia

Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 23, 2023
@blueorangeblue indeed.
Show threadundead enby of the apocalypseAug 21, 2023
@Deglassco @BlackMastodon such a good, informative thread, thank you for posting
Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 23, 2023
@enby_of_the_apocalypse 🙏
Show threadStephen Cox AuthorAug 21, 2023

@Deglassco @[email protected] @BlackMastodon

very sound. the UK had racism, but not racist laws by and large. As a Bristol schoolboy we were taught nothing of this but 'folk memory' is that we were grateful for the black soldiers but the more honest old people said interracial relationhips caused issues. Some pubs famously barred white soldiers when told to discriminate. i'm grateful for this expansion of my home city's history

Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 23, 2023
@stephenwhq indeed.
Show threadComm Radio Environment NetworkAug 21, 2023
@Deglassco @[email protected] @BlackMastodon This is an amazing thread. Is it in one place anywhere please? I'd like to pass it on to people here in Bristol.
Show threadDr. D. Elisabeth GlasscoAug 23, 2023
@oneloveoneplanet only here right now.
Show threadComm Radio Environment NetworkAug 23, 2023
@Deglassco ok thank you. I’ll tell people they have to sign up to Mastodon to see it!
Show threadGinLizzyAug 21, 2023
@Deglassco beautiful picture!
Show threadThe Animal and the MachineAug 21, 2023
For anyone interested in some 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 history, @Deglassco is teaching!
#BlackHistory #UK #USA #Military #History