Tahir Junaid

Student Name: Professor Name: Course: Afro-American History Since 1865 Assignment: The Black Migration After the emancipation and era of Reconstruction there was still nothing significant done socially or politically to have room for the African Americans in south. The reaction of the south was resisting and retaliating one. Blacks were being brutalized and discriminated on the basis of race at state level through legislations. The most appalling were the Jim Crows’ laws which legitimized the racial discrimination in the repercussion of Plessy v. Ferguson case. Blacks were being harassed, intimidated and even murdered regularly as abolition of slavery was unacceptable for the white supremacist society of the south. There was no freedom for them to even involve in any political activity or to make an earning. Whites started to lynch them in public places; it was the time around 1916 when blacks realized that they must shift to north as it was known the better part of the country for many reasons. The Great Migration started in 1916 with some serious flow of African Americans from south to north. Unlike South north was believed to be more liberal and welcoming for the minorities. It is estimated that until 1970 about six millions African Americans settled to north, that is why it is also called the Great Migration of American history. One of the obvious purposes in migrating for African Americans was to get rid of the radical and brutal social structure of the south. African Americans with the hope of better social cohesion moved to north. There was no concept of organized extreme dislike against people on the basis of race which was relieving for the colored communities. At the same time whites in north were hesitant to socially accept them as equal stakeholders. There was racial discrimination in the society; blacks were denied to live in by the most of neighborhoods. It ultimately concentrated the areas in the urban areas on the basis of color. Blacks used to reside in the suburbs or low quality areas of the cities like Chicago and New York. It eventually turned those areas into confined places “Ghettos”. It had bad consequences for the society as whole because they were meant to integrate with urban life style of the northern whites. There was a good side to that as well, for the very first time blacks had an opportunity to live by their traditions and cultural values. It had a massive impact in reshaping culture of northern urban life style as whole. Artistic activities build a soft and sober image of the African American, mainly the induction of Jazz music. It was known as the Harlem Renaissance. North was also more progressive as its economy had set foot in industrial boom unlike south where it was based on agriculture. The African Americans perceived that they would have better chance of making good income to raise their families if they would settle in north. After they did move in abundance to the north their expectations were high. But it was shocking to many that it was not what they assumed regarding north. There was so much competition even for skill workers to provide them with even basic/low jobs. Due to the extreme competition they were exploited as well while whites were seeing them as invaders at workplaces. So it was different kind of oppression but way better than in south. At least they were not working as forced labor. For many, there was hardly any disparity migration could bring in their economic condition. It met many peoples’ expectations though not to the level of their satisfaction but for a good beginning. The surge of migration kept rising until the economic recession after the WW II. The industry of the North was hit badly by the markets’ fall and there were hardly any work force required. It made many African Americans to move back to south which was changing significantly as Jim Crows’ law were not effective anymore any agriculture sector was not much affected by the recession. The black migration contributed a lot towards the evolution of true democracy in U.S in which racism and bigotry had to give up at last. North provided a much better conditions for true inclusion of the blacks in political process, though it was not much appreciated but was not exterminated. African Americans had forums for representations such as Urban League and NAACP. They produced great black leadership; promote multiculturalism and evolved inevitable politically aware society. It had pleasant consequences later on for the democracy in the country.