World War II had a big impact on civil rights efforts in the United States in a few important ways:

1. African Americans in the War:

   • About 1.2 million African Americans served in the military during World War II.
   • Many of them fought on the front lines, showing that they could handle tough roles, which challenged the old beliefs about their abilities.

2. The Double V Campaign:

   • The Pittsburgh Courier, a newspaper, started the "Double V" campaign.
   • This meant fighting for victory against fascism overseas and against racism at home.
   • This campaign got many African Americans excited, causing more people to demand civil rights after the war.

3. Job Opportunities:

   • World War II created lots of jobs in factories, which needed workers to help with the war.
   • More than 500,000 African Americans got these jobs.
   • This showed how unfair pay and job opportunities were based on race.

4. Fair Employment Practices Committee (FEPC):

   • This group was created in 1941 to help stop racial discrimination in jobs related to the war.
   • By 1945, the FEPC had looked into over 1,000 businesses.
   • This brought attention to unfair job practices and helped start future efforts for change.

5. Social and Political Change:

   • After the war, over 1.1 million African Americans were registered to vote, which was double the number from 1940.
   • The end of the war also saw new civil rights groups form, like the NAACP and CORE. These groups worked hard for desegregation and voting rights.

All these things together energized civil rights efforts and helped set the stage for the major movements in the 1950s and 1960s.