1 9 4 0 s , ▁Joseph ▁participated ▁in ▁many ▁exhib itions ▁of ▁African - American ▁art , ▁the ▁Works ▁Progress ▁Administration ▁m ural ▁project , ▁and ▁the ▁Har lem ▁Art ists ▁Gu ild . ▁▁▁ ▁Ron ald ▁Joseph ▁en list ed ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Army ▁Air ▁Corps ▁at ▁the ▁declaration ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁and ▁was ▁posted ▁as ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁ground ▁crew ▁in ▁T usk eg ee , ▁Alabama , ▁and ▁in ▁Michigan . ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁war ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁he ▁received ▁his ▁G . ▁I . ▁Bill ▁of ▁Rights ▁scholar ship . ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁he ▁was ▁presented ▁with ▁the ▁Rosen wald ▁Fellow ship . ▁ ▁The ▁funds ▁allowed ▁him ▁to ▁live ▁and ▁work ▁abroad ▁- ▁first ▁in ▁Peru ▁for ▁two ▁years , ▁then ▁in ▁Paris . ▁Joseph ▁used ▁the ▁G . I . ▁bill ▁to ▁study ▁in ▁Paris ▁at ▁the ▁Grande ▁Cha um ière . ▁He ▁described ▁this ▁period ▁of ▁his ▁life ▁as ▁being ▁“ in dependent ▁of ▁economy ”. ▁  H is ▁work ▁from ▁these ▁travel s ▁is ▁largely ▁und ocument ed ; ▁according ▁to ▁Rosen wald ▁scholar , ▁Daniel ▁Schul man , ▁many ▁pieces ▁of ▁art ▁are ▁und ated ▁or ▁simply ▁dated ▁" 1 9 4 8 - 1 9 5 2 ". ▁ ▁After ▁this ▁period ▁he ▁came ▁back ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁without ▁money ▁and ▁work ▁and ▁indicated ▁this ▁as ▁period ▁of ▁hard ship . ▁▁ ▁Ron ald ▁Joseph ▁left