Negro Marines prepare for action. Breaking a tradition of 167 years, the U.S. Marine Corps started enlisting Negroes on June 1, 1942. The first class of 1,200 Negro volunteers began their training three months later as members of the 51st Composite Defense Battalion at Montford Point, a section of the 200 square mile Marine Base, Camp Lejeune, at New River, North Carolina. Evidence of the lack of racial friction may be seen in the sports program at the camp. On the baseball team Negro enlistees and white non-com officers are teammates. Camp Lejeune has its own baseball league, with the Montford Point team a strong contender for championship honors. Nice vintage photo for baseball fans or baseball memorabilia collectors. Learn More
This vintage illustrated poster depicts the Battle of Fort Wagner in South Carolina during the Civil War. The Battle of Fort Wagner, Morris Island, also known as the Second Assault on Morris Island, was fought on July 18, 1863, during the American Civil War. Learn More
Photo of black person waiting at the bus station in Durham, North Carolina. You can see a colored waiting room sign and some old posters on the wall. Photo dates to 1940. Learn More
Photo showing a rainy street scene in Roxboro, North Carolina. Great view of an old barber shop sign, vintage cars, and other old shops along Main Street. This old photo dates to 1940. Learn More
Photo showing a group of black men in front of a grocery store in Roxboro, North Carolina. Segregation was a very big issue in the deep South during this period. This old photo dates to 1940. Learn More
