The Pentagon ends enforced racial segregation in its cafeterias

In May 1942, racial segregation in the Pentagon's dining facilities became the subject of a significant workplace dispute. The building had originally been designed with separate eating and restroom accommodations for Black and white employees, reflecting Virginia's segregation laws. Jimmy Harold, a Black ordnance worker, draftsman, and engineer, refused to use the designated Black cafeteria and began eating in a whites-only facility with other Black workers. The resulting confrontation included an incident in which Harold was beaten by a white security guard. William Hastie, a civilian aide to Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson, learned of the incident and secured an investigation. General Brehon B. Somervell subsequently ordered an end to enforced segregation in Pentagon cafeterias. The episode represented an important development in federal workplace practices during World War II and demonstrated the intersection of racial discrimination, federal authority, and military administration.