Double V Campaign

Charlotta Bass and the Double V Campaign

The Double V campaign began in 1942, spearheaded by the Pittsburgh Courier, one of the nation’s leading Black newspapers. The idea was simple yet profound: African Americans should fight for victory not only against the Axis powers abroad but also against racial discrimination and segregation at home.

A Call for Victory Abroad and at Home

During World War II, Black Americans faced a paradox. They were asked to fight for freedom overseas while being denied basic civil rights at home. The tension between patriotism and systemic racism gave birth to the Double V campaign, which stood for “Victory Abroad, Victory at Home.” One of the most prominent advocates for this movement on the West Coast was Charlotta Bass, the fearless editor of the California Eagle, one of the oldest and most influential Black newspapers in Los Angeles. Through her editorials and the paper’s coverage, Bass amplified the voices of African Americans fighting for both military and civil rights. Her commitment to the campaign was personal as well as political, especially when her nephew joined the war effort, bringing the urgency of the Double V campaign even closer to home.

The Birth of the Double V Campaign

The Double V campaign began in 1942, spearheaded by the Pittsburgh Courier, one of the nation’s leading Black newspapers. The idea was simple yet profound: African Americans should fight for victory not only against the Axis powers abroad but also against racial discrimination and segregation at home. This two-pronged fight for justice was a rallying cry for Black Americans, who saw the hypocrisy in a government that claimed to defend democracy abroad while denying it to its own citizens.

Charlotta Bass quickly aligned the California Eagle with this national effort. Bass had long used her platform to fight for civil rights and racial justice, and the Double V campaign provided a framework that perfectly encapsulated her lifelong mission. During the war years, Bass used her California Eagle to emphasize the importance of the Double V campaign, calling out the contradictions of a government that sent Black men to die for democracy while denying them full citizenship rights. Her speeches and editorials were often biting and direct. She questioned the moral integrity of a country that could ask Black soldiers to fight on foreign soil while leaving their families to endure segregation, violence, and economic disparity back home. One such editorial in the California Eagle stated, “How can we ask our young men to fight for freedom abroad when they cannot even vote at home?” This sentiment resonated deeply with the Black community, especially as stories of discrimination against Black soldiers in the U.S. military became more widespread.

The Personal Becomes Political: Bass’s Nephew Joins the Fight

The Double V campaign wasn’t just an abstract political movement for Charlotta Bass—it was personal. Her nephew, John Kinloch, who had enlisted in the U.S. military, was deployed to fight in the war. His departure made the contradictions of the war effort even more immediate for Bass and her family. While her nephew fought against fascism abroad, Bass fought a different kind of battle at home, advocating for his rights and the rights of all Black Americans through her work at the California Eagle.

In her writings, Bass often referred to her nephew’s deployment as a reminder of what was at stake. She knew that while he fought for freedom abroad, he and other Black soldiers would return to a country that still treated them as second-class citizens. Bass not only published her nephew’s writing in Kinloch’s Corner and other pieces, but she also supported the black troops. In the California Eagle editorial (April 1, 1943) she wrote,

“In the factory, field, army, navy, or Air Corps, or with pen or hoe, we must fight to win. To you, Uncle Sam: we have but three men left. May we keep them….Fentress, Kinloch, Williams.”

His participation in the war effort was a constant, painful reminder of the limited freedoms Black Americans had at home. She wrote frequently about her concern for him and other Black soldiers, not just because of the dangers of war but because of the discrimination they would face upon their return. For Bass, the personal stories of Black soldiers like her nephew were a critical part of the narrative that fueled the Double V campaign.

The Role of the California Eagle in the Double V Campaign

Under Bass’s stewardship, the California Eagle became one of the most vocal proponents of the Double V campaign in California. The newspaper regularly featured stories of Black soldiers, interviews with civil rights leaders, and editorialsthat called for greater accountability from the U.S. government regarding its treatment of Black Americans. In The California Eagle’s editorial “ The Moment in Crisis!” (Sept. 10,1942) Bass explained their war coverage approach,

“This is a Negro newspaper and it is determined to view events of our day in particular relation to their effect upon this our country’s greatest and most cruelly oppressed minority.”

Bass was particularly effective at drawing attention to the hypocrisy of the U.S. military’s segregationist policies, often highlighting the stories of Black soldiers who faced discrimination both abroad and at home.

The paper also provided a platform for local community members to voice their concerns and opinions about the war. Letters to the editor often expressed frustration with the lack of progress on civil rights, even as Black Americans were being asked to make the ultimate sacrifice for their country. In a Letter entitled “Why Do I Fight?” submitted to California Eagle’s Kinloch’s Corner column, a solider writes,

“I don’t think the U.S. practices what it preaches, because the states of—has its own law where the Colored man is concerned, even for Colored Soldiers. All soldiers are fighting for the same cause, are they not?”

Bass used the newspaper to amplify these voices, making it clear that the fight for freedom was far from over, even as the war raged on in Europe and the Pacific.

Bass also connected the Double V campaign to the broader civil rights movement – especially after her nephew’s death during active duty at the Battle of the Bulge. Her Vice-Presidential candidacy speech echoed this message,

“And then we fought another war. You know Dorie Miller, the spud peeler who came out of his galley to fight while white officers slept at Pearl Harbor. And I think of Robert Brooks, another “first Negro”, and of my own nephew. We fought a war to end fascism whose germ is German race superiority and the oppression of other peoples. A Negro soldier returned from that war—he was not even allowed to take off his uniform before he was lynched for daring to exercise his constitutional right to vote in a Democratic primary.”

She encouraged Black Angelenos to see the fight against fascism abroad as directly linked to the fight against racism at home. The paper’s coverage of local civil rights battles, from housing discrimination to police brutality, served as a constant reminder that the struggle for justice was ongoing.

Legacy of the Double V Campaign and Charlotta Bass

The Double V campaign was a pivotal moment in the history of African American activism, and Charlotta Bass was one of its most passionate and effective advocates. While the campaign itself did not end segregation or discrimination, it laid the groundwork for the Civil Rights Movement that would follow in the decades after the war. By connecting the fight against fascism abroad with the fight for racial justice at home, Bass and other leaders of the Double V campaign helped to create a new sense of urgency around civil rights issues.

Charlotta Bass’s contribution to the campaign, particularly through her work at the California Eagle, was instrumental in raising awareness and mobilizing the Black community in Los Angeles. Her personal connection to the war, through her nephew’s deployment, made her advocacy all the more poignant and powerful. Bass’s tireless efforts to promote the Double V campaign helped to galvanize the Black community and left a lasting legacy of resistance against racial injustice.

About the Author

Unsung Black Press

The Charlotta Bass Journalism & Justice Lab at USC Annenberg is a pioneering research and teaching initiative that is dedicated to preserving the rich legacy of Black media makers. Our series, Unsung Black Press, focuses on little known West Coast Black journalism pioneers who have shaped the field, from the time of abolition to today.

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