On this date in 1947, the **NAACP’s 1947 report** highlighted the extreme racial violence that African Americans, particularly returning Black veterans, faced in **1946**. The organization called it “one of the grimmest years” in its history due to the surge in racist attacks, lynchings, and violent acts committed against Black individuals.

The report specifically **condemned brutal acts** such as:
– The **blowtorch killings** and **eye-gouging** of Black veterans who had just fought in **World War II** for democracy and freedom abroad but returned to face terror and racism at home.
– **Lynchings and racial murders**, particularly in the South, where white mobs targeted Black citizens with impunity.
– Widespread **discrimination and segregation**, despite Black soldiers having served honorably in the war.

One particularly infamous case was the **killing of Isaac Woodard**, a Black WWII veteran who was **blinded by a white police officer in 1946** after he was beaten and his eyes gouged with a billy club. This incident and others like it helped galvanize civil rights activism and put pressure on President **Harry Truman** to take action, eventually leading to the desegregation of the U.S. military in 1948.

The **NAACP’s report** was a **wake-up call** about the deep racial injustices that persisted in America, despite the country’s outward commitment to freedom and democracy during World War II.