LEARNING TOGETHER: The Story of America
During the Great Migration, Black Americans left the South in large numbers for several reasons, but the most common theme could be called HOPE.
- HOPE: That there would be better economic opportunities up north.
- HOPE: That there would be better schools for their children.
- HOPE: That there would be better housing for their families.
- HOPE: That they would finally escape the harsh hatred and cruelty of Jim Crow Laws, the Black Codes and lynchings.
- HOPE: That America would live up to her promise of equality and justice for all.
So, did these courageous adventurers find the HOPE that they were seeking? Kinda. World War I and II opened the door to better employment opportunities and better pay (as high as three times the pay they made working on Southern farms). However, Blacks were paid less than whites for doing the same jobs. A practice that continues to this day. The competition for domestic help was fierce so Black women had a harder time finding work than Black men.
Securing work was just one of the many problems Black Americans encountered in their new cities. Northerners didn’t exactly roll out the red carpet for their Southern brothers (and sisters). See Part 4.
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