May 29, 2023 • 11 mins
On this day in 1930, the U.S. War Department insisted that Black mothers and widows must travel on segregated boats in order to visit their loved ones’ graves in Europe.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This Day in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio,
Hello and Welcome to This Day in History Class, a
show that honors the dead by sharing their stories with
the living. I'm Gay Bluesier, and today we're paying tribute
to a group of black women who were forced to
make an impossible choice while dealing with one of the
(00:22):
worst personal tragedies imaginable. Their response challenged the injustices of segregation,
foreshadowed the civil rights movement to come, and honored the
sacrifice of black soldiers past, present, and future. The day
(00:43):
was May twenty ninth, nineteen thirty. The US War Department
insisted that black mothers and widows must travel on segregated
boats in order to visit their loved one's graves in Europe.
The federal government had invited the fan families of veterans
killed during World War II to make a pilgrimage to France,
(01:04):
where the fallen soldiers had been buried. The Department of
War would organize the trips and cover all expenses, including food, travel,
and lodging. The program was open to all Gold Star
widows and spouses, regardless of race, but there was one condition.
All black participants had to agree to travel on separate
(01:26):
boats and stay in different hotels than the white women.
Even though they would be abroad, America's segregation loss would
still be observed, and even though their sons and husbands
had given their lives, they would still be treated as
second class citizens by their own government. A group of
fifty five black mothers and widows petitioned President Hoover to
(01:49):
allow all of the grieving women to travel together, but
the administration was adamant, and on May twenty ninth, the
request was officially denied. During the First World War, many
families displayed blue star flags, arm bands, and pins as
a way to show support for a family member serving
in the armed forces. In the event that a family
(02:12):
member died in military service, the blue star would then
be replaced with gold one. In an effort to process
their grief, gold star mothers and widows formed community groups
where they could share their experiences and find constructive ways
to honor their fallen loved ones. Once the war was over,
many of the women longed to visit the graves of
(02:33):
their sons and husbands overseas, but doubted they'd ever have
the means to do so. Throughout the nineteen twenties, these
women fervently appeal to Congress to fund a series of
gold Star pilgrimages to Europe. It took years of advocacy
from numerous veterans and gold Star organizations, but finally, in
March of nineteen twenty nine, the women got their wish.
(02:57):
As one of his final acts in office, President Calvin
Coolidge authorized five point eight million dollars for a program
to send gold Star Women to France. The approval came
just in time, as later that year a stock market
crash would plunge the US into the Great Depression. Economic
conditions had severely worsened by the time of the first
(03:19):
pilgrimages in spring of nineteen thirty, but since the funding
had already been allocated, the trips continued as scheduled during
each spring and summer from nineteen thirty to nineteen thirty three.
In total, roughly six thousand, seven hundred women of all
races took part in the voyages. The press touted the
(03:40):
democratic spirit of the program, pointing out that the US
government had opened it to all women, regardless of religion, income,
or social status, in recognition of their civic contributions. The
gold Star Women would be treated equally and treated well. However,
in early nineteen thirty, the the Hoover administration dropped a bombshell.
(04:03):
It announced that quote, in the interests of the pilgrims themselves,
the women would be divided by race during the trip.
Despite this already discriminatory treatment, the government maintained that quote
no discrimination whatever will be made. Surprisingly, or maybe unsurprisingly,
Hoover's staff was caught off guard by the resulting backlash.
(04:26):
The black community mobilized right away, with black journalists and
activists firing off hundreds of passionate articles and letters in
hopes of pressuring the government to reverse its decision. One
letter reminded policymakers that quote colored boys fought side by
side with the white and they deserved the due respect. Now,
(04:47):
they argued, their wives and mothers deserved the same. The
Chicago Defender called the program the Crowning Insult in a
long list of abuses by Hoover's administration, and one outrag
aged Philadelphia widow cut straight to the point, asking, quote,
must these noble women be jim crowed and humiliated on
(05:08):
such a sacred occasion? Signed petitions from around the country
were sent to the Secretary of War and to the
President himself. One in particular was sent from a group
of black gold Star women who hailed from twenty one
different states. The women express their disappointment and their indignation,
writing quote, When the call to arms came from our
(05:31):
government in nineteen seventeen, mothers, sisters, and wives, regardless of race, color,
or creed, were asked to give their loved ones that
the world might be saved for democracy. This call we
answered freely and willingly. But twelve years after the armistice,
the high principles of nineteen eighteen seem to have been forgotten.
(05:53):
We who gave and who are colored, are insulted by
the implication that we are not fit persons to travel
with other bereaved ones. Instead of making up parties of
gold Star mothers on the basis of geographical location, we
are set aside in a separate group. Jim crowd separated
and insulted. President Hoover referred the petition to his War Department,
(06:17):
which ultimately declined the request on May twenty ninth, nineteen thirty.
In a tone deaf response, the administration insisted the segregated
trips were in everyone's best interest. Saying quote, mothers and
widows would prefer to seek solace in their grief from
companions of their own race. When the War Department refused
(06:38):
to back down, civil rights groups such as the NAACP
began urging Black women to boycott the program unless the
rule was abolished. This left the women with a heartrending
choice take a stand against segregation or visit the final
resting place of their son or husband. Black male activists
said it would dishonor the fallen sacrifice to travel under
(07:01):
the conditions the government proposed, and white male Democratic politicians
applied pressure as well, spreading false rumors that the women
would be sent to France on cattle boats. It was
a cruel and unfair position to be put in, to
be forced to choose between a cause and closure, between
communal allegiance and a personal one. They had already lost
(07:25):
so much and were now being asked to give up
what might have been their only chance to say goodbye.
In the end, about two dozen women canceled their reservations
and never made the pilgrimage to Europe. The rest, some
two hundred and seventy nine mothers and widows joined. One
of six, all black groups and went to visit their
loved one's graves. Those who did never regretted it, and
(07:49):
upon their return to the US, many of them praised
the treatment they received, and a few even encouraged other
women to accept the government's invitation before it was too late.
It was heartened to hear that black gold Star women
had been warmly welcomed in Paris, with crowds of cheering
Parisians and American expats coming out to meet them at
(08:09):
the train station. They were also treated with respect by
the army officers and nurses who oversaw the trips and
made all the arrangements. And although the black mothers and
widows had different itineraries than the white women, they were
treated to many of the same lavish meals and receptions,
as well as to sightseeing tours of the Louver Versailles
(08:30):
and Napoleon's tomb. Their trips to the battlefields and military
cemeteries were conducted separately as well, but wreathlaying ceremonies, and
memorial services were afforded to each group. That said, the
Black gold Star mothers and widows did receive lower quality
accommodations during their pilgrimages. White women made the journey aboard
(08:52):
luxury ocean liners, while African American women had to settle
for passage aboard modified freight ships. Once they arrived in France,
the black and white groups were taken to Paris aboard
separate trains and checked into different hotels. The white women
stayed closer to the center of the city, while the
black women were housed farther out near the edge of town.
(09:14):
Many of the black women who went to France, as
well as those who stayed behind, were deeply conflicted about
their choices. For others, however, taking what was likely a
once in a lifetime trip was the easiest decision they
ever made. According to one mother, quote, ever since I
lost my son in nineteen eighteen, I have been wanting
(09:34):
to come. I would have come over on a cattle boat.
I would have swam if possible. I loved my race
as strongly as any other. But when I heard that
the United States was going to send us over, I
could not refuse. If you ask me, the only ones
who should have been second guessing themselves were the US
government and the racists it had feared to offend. Because
(09:58):
as gold Star mother and poet Ruby Berkeley Goodwin once wrote,
if in other years mothers still know the agony of
seeing strong young sons marched off to war, yet come
back still enslaved to old concepts and stifling bigotries, the
cause is lost. Many of the details shared in today's
(10:21):
show come from the research of Francis Clark and Rebecca
Joe Plant, the authors of a Journal of American History
article called the Crowning Insult, Federal Segregation and the gold
Star Mother and Widow Pilgrimages of the early nineteen thirties.
If you'd like to learn more about this topic, their
paper would be a perfect place to start. I'm Gabe
(10:44):
Lucier and hopefully you now know a little more about
history today than you did yesterday. If you have a
second and you're so inclined, consider keeping up with us
on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at TDI HC Show If
if you have any comments or suggestions, feel free to
pass them along by writing to this Day at iHeartMedia
(11:06):
dot com. Thanks to Chandler Mays and Ben Hackett for
producing the show, and thanks to you for listening. I'll
see you back here again soon for another day in
History Class
This Day in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio,
Hello and Welcome to This Day in History Class, a
show that honors the dead by sharing their stories with
the living. I'm Gay Bluesier, and today we're paying tribute
to a group of black women who were forced to
make an impossible choice while dealing with one of the
(00:22):
worst personal tragedies imaginable. Their response challenged the injustices of segregation,
foreshadowed the civil rights movement to come, and honored the
sacrifice of black soldiers past, present, and future. The day
(00:43):
was May twenty ninth, nineteen thirty. The US War Department
insisted that black mothers and widows must travel on segregated
boats in order to visit their loved one's graves in Europe.
The federal government had invited the fan families of veterans
killed during World War II to make a pilgrimage to France,
(01:04):
where the fallen soldiers had been buried. The Department of
War would organize the trips and cover all expenses, including food, travel,
and lodging. The program was open to all Gold Star
widows and spouses, regardless of race, but there was one condition.
All black participants had to agree to travel on separate
(01:26):
boats and stay in different hotels than the white women.
Even though they would be abroad, America's segregation loss would
still be observed, and even though their sons and husbands
had given their lives, they would still be treated as
second class citizens by their own government. A group of
fifty five black mothers and widows petitioned President Hoover to
(01:49):
allow all of the grieving women to travel together, but
the administration was adamant, and on May twenty ninth, the
request was officially denied. During the First World War, many
families displayed blue star flags, arm bands, and pins as
a way to show support for a family member serving
in the armed forces. In the event that a family
(02:12):
member died in military service, the blue star would then
be replaced with gold one. In an effort to process
their grief, gold star mothers and widows formed community groups
where they could share their experiences and find constructive ways
to honor their fallen loved ones. Once the war was over,
many of the women longed to visit the graves of
(02:33):
their sons and husbands overseas, but doubted they'd ever have
the means to do so. Throughout the nineteen twenties, these
women fervently appeal to Congress to fund a series of
gold Star pilgrimages to Europe. It took years of advocacy
from numerous veterans and gold Star organizations, but finally, in
March of nineteen twenty nine, the women got their wish.
(02:57):
As one of his final acts in office, President Calvin
Coolidge authorized five point eight million dollars for a program
to send gold Star Women to France. The approval came
just in time, as later that year a stock market
crash would plunge the US into the Great Depression. Economic
conditions had severely worsened by the time of the first
(03:19):
pilgrimages in spring of nineteen thirty, but since the funding
had already been allocated, the trips continued as scheduled during
each spring and summer from nineteen thirty to nineteen thirty three.
In total, roughly six thousand, seven hundred women of all
races took part in the voyages. The press touted the
(03:40):
democratic spirit of the program, pointing out that the US
government had opened it to all women, regardless of religion, income,
or social status, in recognition of their civic contributions. The
gold Star Women would be treated equally and treated well. However,
in early nineteen thirty, the the Hoover administration dropped a bombshell.
(04:03):
It announced that quote, in the interests of the pilgrims themselves,
the women would be divided by race during the trip.
Despite this already discriminatory treatment, the government maintained that quote
no discrimination whatever will be made. Surprisingly, or maybe unsurprisingly,
Hoover's staff was caught off guard by the resulting backlash.
(04:26):
The black community mobilized right away, with black journalists and
activists firing off hundreds of passionate articles and letters in
hopes of pressuring the government to reverse its decision. One
letter reminded policymakers that quote colored boys fought side by
side with the white and they deserved the due respect. Now,
(04:47):
they argued, their wives and mothers deserved the same. The
Chicago Defender called the program the Crowning Insult in a
long list of abuses by Hoover's administration, and one outrag
aged Philadelphia widow cut straight to the point, asking, quote,
must these noble women be jim crowed and humiliated on
(05:08):
such a sacred occasion? Signed petitions from around the country
were sent to the Secretary of War and to the
President himself. One in particular was sent from a group
of black gold Star women who hailed from twenty one
different states. The women express their disappointment and their indignation,
writing quote, When the call to arms came from our
(05:31):
government in nineteen seventeen, mothers, sisters, and wives, regardless of race, color,
or creed, were asked to give their loved ones that
the world might be saved for democracy. This call we
answered freely and willingly. But twelve years after the armistice,
the high principles of nineteen eighteen seem to have been forgotten.
(05:53):
We who gave and who are colored, are insulted by
the implication that we are not fit persons to travel
with other bereaved ones. Instead of making up parties of
gold Star mothers on the basis of geographical location, we
are set aside in a separate group. Jim crowd separated
and insulted. President Hoover referred the petition to his War Department,
(06:17):
which ultimately declined the request on May twenty ninth, nineteen thirty.
In a tone deaf response, the administration insisted the segregated
trips were in everyone's best interest. Saying quote, mothers and
widows would prefer to seek solace in their grief from
companions of their own race. When the War Department refused
(06:38):
to back down, civil rights groups such as the NAACP
began urging Black women to boycott the program unless the
rule was abolished. This left the women with a heartrending
choice take a stand against segregation or visit the final
resting place of their son or husband. Black male activists
said it would dishonor the fallen sacrifice to travel under
(07:01):
the conditions the government proposed, and white male Democratic politicians
applied pressure as well, spreading false rumors that the women
would be sent to France on cattle boats. It was
a cruel and unfair position to be put in, to
be forced to choose between a cause and closure, between
communal allegiance and a personal one. They had already lost
(07:25):
so much and were now being asked to give up
what might have been their only chance to say goodbye.
In the end, about two dozen women canceled their reservations
and never made the pilgrimage to Europe. The rest, some
two hundred and seventy nine mothers and widows joined. One
of six, all black groups and went to visit their
loved one's graves. Those who did never regretted it, and
(07:49):
upon their return to the US, many of them praised
the treatment they received, and a few even encouraged other
women to accept the government's invitation before it was too late.
It was heartened to hear that black gold Star women
had been warmly welcomed in Paris, with crowds of cheering
Parisians and American expats coming out to meet them at
(08:09):
the train station. They were also treated with respect by
the army officers and nurses who oversaw the trips and
made all the arrangements. And although the black mothers and
widows had different itineraries than the white women, they were
treated to many of the same lavish meals and receptions,
as well as to sightseeing tours of the Louver Versailles
(08:30):
and Napoleon's tomb. Their trips to the battlefields and military
cemeteries were conducted separately as well, but wreathlaying ceremonies, and
memorial services were afforded to each group. That said, the
Black gold Star mothers and widows did receive lower quality
accommodations during their pilgrimages. White women made the journey aboard
(08:52):
luxury ocean liners, while African American women had to settle
for passage aboard modified freight ships. Once they arrived in France,
the black and white groups were taken to Paris aboard
separate trains and checked into different hotels. The white women
stayed closer to the center of the city, while the
black women were housed farther out near the edge of town.
(09:14):
Many of the black women who went to France, as
well as those who stayed behind, were deeply conflicted about
their choices. For others, however, taking what was likely a
once in a lifetime trip was the easiest decision they
ever made. According to one mother, quote, ever since I
lost my son in nineteen eighteen, I have been wanting
(09:34):
to come. I would have come over on a cattle boat.
I would have swam if possible. I loved my race
as strongly as any other. But when I heard that
the United States was going to send us over, I
could not refuse. If you ask me, the only ones
who should have been second guessing themselves were the US
government and the racists it had feared to offend. Because
(09:58):
as gold Star mother and poet Ruby Berkeley Goodwin once wrote,
if in other years mothers still know the agony of
seeing strong young sons marched off to war, yet come
back still enslaved to old concepts and stifling bigotries, the
cause is lost. Many of the details shared in today's
(10:21):
show come from the research of Francis Clark and Rebecca
Joe Plant, the authors of a Journal of American History
article called the Crowning Insult, Federal Segregation and the gold
Star Mother and Widow Pilgrimages of the early nineteen thirties.
If you'd like to learn more about this topic, their
paper would be a perfect place to start. I'm Gabe
(10:44):
Lucier and hopefully you now know a little more about
history today than you did yesterday. If you have a
second and you're so inclined, consider keeping up with us
on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at TDI HC Show If
if you have any comments or suggestions, feel free to
pass them along by writing to this Day at iHeartMedia
(11:06):
dot com. Thanks to Chandler Mays and Ben Hackett for
producing the show, and thanks to you for listening. I'll
see you back here again soon for another day in
History Class
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Gabe Luzier
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