The Incident At Bamber Bridge—The British stand up for Black American soldiers

This resulted from the U.S. demanding that an English town segregate a pub serving white and black servicemen.
That is, "Yanks" went into another country demanding the local people accommodate their racism.
[media=https://youtu.be/Br0v1AYgqng]

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ChipmunkErnie · 70-79, M

Not sure if it was this exact incident, but I had heard of the Brits accepting black US soldiers into pubs, etc., with no problems and standing up to the US military when it tried to force its segregationist policies onto the Brits.

bijouxbroussard · F

@ChipmunkErnie Yes, this was an example of that, and there were certainly others. I posted a story a little while back that my uncle who served and saw it firsthand had told me. He spent time in England and in France.

He also spoke fluent French and was often pulled from his unit to help translate; there was an incident where a few white American soldiers especially resented that he could communicate with French women more easily than they could.

Briggett

@ChipmunkErnie that why when WWII ended and quite a few soldiers went backed overseas to live a life; for most the part you were judged on your character and content, color and class were often secondary if anything.

ChipmunkErnie · 70-79, M

@Briggett The same thing happened after WWI when black soldiers came back to the US and had to reface the racism so blatant in much of America. Though Britain and its Empire were known for their racism, too.

DrWatson · 70-79, M

@ChipmunkErnie And yet we insist that we are "the land of the free."

bijouxbroussard · F

@DrWatson I think that’s what has always bugged me most. The U.S. didn’t invent racism, but it’s always bragged about being "better". So the things that happened here, shouldn’t have.

ChipmunkErnie · 70-79, M

@bijouxbroussard Very true, but at least the fantasy gave us something to aim for -- well, for some of us. I think that fantasy, though unfulfilled is a big part of how we've managed to do what good things we have done. Far from perfect, but often with a desire to strive for the better.

JSul3 · 70-79

@DrWatson Only if you're white.

bijouxbroussard · F

@ChipmunkErnie That it was our collective fantasy was belied by the laws we established at various points in our history, deliberately shutting groups of people out of that dream.

ChipmunkErnie · 70-79, M

@bijouxbroussard Yes, but the dream still endured somehow and slow progress was made. Sadly, we now appear to be backsliding under the current administration. :'(

bijouxbroussard · F

@ChipmunkErnie I’m old enough to remember when there was a prayer for improvement; that’s what kept most of us going. I can only hope that’s not destroyed this time around.