Veterans Day legislation targets GI Bill racial inequities

By AARON MORRISON and KAT STAFFORD
Associated Press

In honor of Veterans Day, a group of Democratic lawmakers is reviving an effort to pay the families of Black veterans who fought on behalf of the nation during World War II for benefits they were denied or prevented from taking full advantage of when they returned home from war. Legislation being introduced in the House and Senate would benefit surviving spouses and all living descendants of Black WWII veterans whose families were denied the opportunity to build wealth with housing and educational benefits through the GI Bill. Research shows that due to racism and uneven administration of the programs, Black veterans disproportionately faced discriminatory practices and did not realize the same value from the benefits as white veterans.