A surprise revolution

In 1942, a popular song about a patriotic female defense worker called "Rosie the Riveter" provided the name that became synonymous with this new kind of feminist American woman.
Rosie the Riveter is a cultural icon of the United States, representing the six million women who entered the workforce for the first time during World War II, many of whom worked in the manufacturing plants that produced munitions and material. These women took the places of the male workers who were absent fighting in the Pacific and European theaters. The character is now considered a feminist icon in the US, and a herald of women's economic power to come. Rosie and her slogan "We Can Do It!" were featured on posters, magazines, and more. In the case of the New York Times though journalists "opted" not to just tell woman to go work into the factories but instead show them how working woman have been making a difference in the war effort and the economy.  The interesting thing was that African American women were some of those most affected by the mass push for women workers. It can be said that it was the fact that whites working along blacks during the time had encouraged a breaking down of social barriers and a healthy recognition of diversity. African-Americans working in the factories were able to lay the groundwork for the pre civil rights revolution by equating segregation with Nazi white supremacist ideology.