Executive Order 9981 is associated with desegregation of which sector?

Executive Order 9981 is associated with desegregation of which sector?

• A. Public Schools
• B. The Supreme Court
• C. The Military
• D. Federal Civil Service

Answer: (C)

Desegregation of the armed forces is what Executive Order 9981 accomplishes. In 1948, President Truman issued this order to end racial segregation and ensure equal treatment and opportunity for all service members across all branches. It brought the military in line with the democratic principle that people should be judged by ability rather than race, and it established a policy of deseg regimentation within the core national security institutions. Although full integration took time to implement across all units, the order marked a decisive federal move to end segregation in the military and set a powerful precedent for civil rights more broadly.

This focus isn’t about desegregating public schools, the Supreme Court itself, or federal civil service, which involved different actions and timelines. The military-focused nature of this order is what makes it specifically about desegregation in that sector.