We know that African Americans served overseas in both Europe and Japan during World War II. However, there were many African Americans who contributed to the war effort on the home front. Many worked in war industries and government wartime agencies. They sold war bonds, conserved goods needed for the war effort, etc.
The Office of War Information (OWI), established by Executive Order 9182 on June 13, 1942, documented the progress of the war effort. OWI’s Picture Division provide photographs for the OWI’s Bureau of Weekly Press Division. African American Activities in Industry, Government, and the Armed Forces, 1941-1945 (208-NP) documents African American men, women, and young people participating in all aspects of American life at home and abroad during World War II. Activities include African American workers in factories, civilian and military governments, shipyards, arsenals, quartermaster depots, aircraft facilities, secretarial offices, etc. These photographs are unrestricted.
Theodore R. Poston, head of the Negro Press Section, Office of War Information (NAID 535824, 208-NP-4MMM-1) 
A seaman with the U.S. Maritime Service (NAID 535819, 208-NP-3ZZ-4) 
“Miss Clara Camille Carroll…, contributes her bit to the war effort in her daily work. She is one of the thousands of Negro girls now filling clerical positions in the Nation’s Capital.” (NAID 535813, 208-NP-3F-3) 
The six plane factories of the Douglas Aircraft Company has been termed an industrial melting pot, since men and women of 58 national origins work side by side in pushing America’s plane output. S. O. Porter, Douglas’s director of personnel, recently declared that Negroes are doing an outstanding job in all plants. Luedell Mitchell and Lavada Cherry are shown in the El Segundo Plant of the Douglas Aircraft Company. [African-American women working] (NAID 535811, 208-NP-2YYYY(1)) 
“Final assembly of the pilot’s compartment is being made by these Negro workers in a large eastern aircraft factory. These youths went directly from a war training course to their jobs in this plant.” (NAID 535810, 208-NP-2VV-2) 
“Under the direction of Cecil M. Coles, NYA foreman, Miss Juanita E. Gray learns to operate a lathe machine at the Washington, DC, NYA War Production and Training Center. This former domestic worker is one of hundreds of Negro women trained at this center.” (NAID 535809, 208-NP-2QQQQ-1) 
Women workers at quartermaster depot. The nimble fingers of many American women are now contributing to the war effort in various quartermaster corps depots. This elderly woman worker is handstitching sleeves on an army overcoat. [African-American woman working] (NAID 535808, 208-NP-2JJ(1)) 
“Insignia for military police are being turned out in an eastern quartermaster corps depot where this young worker has obtained war production employment.” (NAID 535807, 208-NP-2HHH-1) 
“Bertha Stallworth, age 21, shown inspecting end of 40mm artillery cartridge case at Frankford Arsenal.” (NAID 535805, 208-NP-1WW-1) 
With nearly 1000 [African-American] women employed as burners, welders, scalers, and in other capacities at the Kaiser Shipyards in Richmond, California, women war workers played an important part in the construction of the Liberty Ship, SS George Washington Carver, launched on May 7th, 1943. Welder -trainee Josie Lucille Owens plies her trade on the ship. (NAID 535803, 208-NP-1KKK-(6)) 
Kaiser shipyards, Richmond, California Miss Eastine Cowner, a former waitress, is helping in her job as a scaler to construct the Liberty Ship SS George Washington Carver launched on May 7, 1943. (NAID 535802, 208-NP-1KKK(3)) 
“… Welders Alivia Scott, Hattie Carpenter, and Flossie Burtos await an opportunity to weld their first piece of steel on the ship [SS George Washington Carver].” (NAID 535800, 208-NP-1HHH-5)