This document describes the challenges faced by racial groups in the United States during World War II, both at home and abroad. While men from racial minority groups volunteered or were drafted to fight overseas, they faced segregation and were placed into racially segregated military units. Back home, factories employed people from racial minority groups who worked long hours for little pay. Leaders from these racial groups fought for equal civil rights while their community members contributed to the war effort. Over time, as white soldiers spent more time with people from other racial groups, racial tensions began to lessen.