Final answer:
The draft was considered racially unfair due to deferments and exemptions favoring the white middle class, manipulation by draft boards to disproportionately select African American men, and systems that allowed wealthier men to hire substitutes, which mostly benefitted the wealthier White class.
Step-by-step explanation:
The draft was deemed racially unfair for a variety of reasons. Firstly, there were exemptions and deferments available that predominantly benefited the White middle class. For example, options like draft deferments for college, exemptions for skilled workers involved in the military industrial complex, and officer training programs allowed these individuals to circumvent the draft or choose their military branch. This resulted in less than one-third of White men being drafted.
Furthermore, during World Wars and the Civil War, the government and draft boards often manipulated the draft to protect White men from combat. In the Southern states, these boards would disproportionately select African American men. This was despite African American troops still being segregated into labor units, experiencing combat in fewer numbers, as evident with the Harlem Hellfighters.
Lastly, there was widespread resentment towards a system that allowed wealthier men to hire substitutes to avoid military service, known to favor the wealthier White class. Events such as the 1863 New York City Draft Riots, where White mobs attacked African American neighborhoods and property related to the Union army, dramatically illustrated the racial anger and division exacerbated by the draft.
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