▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁The ▁military ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁national ▁institutions ▁to ▁be ▁integrated . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁President ▁Harry ▁S . ▁Tr uman ▁issued ▁Executive ▁Order ▁ 9 9 8 1 ▁establish ing ▁equality ▁within ▁the ▁armed ▁services . ▁The ▁military ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁tool ▁of ▁integration . ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 7 , ▁President ▁D w ight ▁Eisen h ower ▁sent ▁troops ▁to ▁Little ▁Rock , ▁AR ▁to ▁des eg reg ate ▁a ▁school ▁after ▁the ▁Brown ▁v . ▁Board ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁decision ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 4 . ▁( See ▁also ▁Mac G reg or , ▁ 1 9 8 5 .) ▁ ▁Im pro ved ▁race ▁relations ▁was ▁seen ▁as ▁a ▁national ▁security ▁issue ▁during ▁the ▁Cold ▁War . ▁Commun ist ▁propag anda ▁c ited ▁American ▁rac ism ▁as ▁a ▁major ▁f law , ▁and ▁America ▁wanted ▁to ▁improve ▁its ▁image ▁to ▁third - world ▁countries ▁which ▁might ▁be ▁sus cept ible ▁to ▁Commun ism . ▁ ▁Ele an or ▁Ro ose vel t ▁said ▁" c ivil ▁rights ▁[ is ] ▁an ▁international ▁question . ▁. ▁. ▁[ that ] ▁may ▁decide ▁whether ▁Dem ocracy ▁or ▁Commun ism ▁wins ▁out ▁in ▁the ▁world ." ▁( S her ry , ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁p .   1 4 6 ) ▁and ▁this ▁sort ▁of ▁false ▁dich ot omy ▁was ▁continued ▁further ▁throughout ▁the ▁Mc Car thy ▁era ▁and ▁the ▁Cold ▁War ▁in ▁general . ▁ ▁Class ▁The ▁military