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The Second Great Migration, known as the second stage of the Great Northward Migration, occurred from 1941 to 1970, spurred by World War II and the post-war economic boom. During the Second Great Migration, more than 5 million African Americans journeyed to to the Northeast and Midwest, as well as the West, where cities such as Los Angeles, Oakland, Phoenix, Portland, and Seattle provided skilled jobs in the defense industry.[1] The majority of these migrants had previously worked as urban laborers in southern cities. Furthermore, African Americans continued to face discrimination in some parts of the country, and many sought to flee.
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Key Contributors of the Second Great Migration
- Employment Opportunities: The rise of factories and industries created new job opportunities for African Americans, especially in the North.
From Rural to Urban Life: Many moved from rural areas to urban centers in search of work and a better life free from Southern oppression.
- Economic Growth: Many more opportunities were available to the African American enabling economic stability and even prosperity through industrial jobs, creating the middle class.
- Urbanization: The migration to cities led to the growth of African American communities and the development of cultural and social institutions.
Educational Opportunities: Untethered by crop seasons, educational opportunities were prioritized. For those in the military, the GI Bill paid for education. Since laws and location can never totally erase a mindset of supremacy, African Americans still encountered unfair practices:
- Work Exploitation and Discrimination: Continually discriminated against, African Americans were frequently employed in the most dangerous and least desirable jobs, often faced harsher working conditions and lower wages in the workplace.
- Segregation: Relegated to specific areas, the rapid increase of the population led to overcrowded and often inferior living conditions with increased rents.
- Economic Disparities: Despite the new job opportunities, African Americans often remained at the bottom of the economic ladder, with limited access to higher-paying jobs and career advancement.
The Black experience during the Great Migration became an important theme in the artistic movement known first as the New Negro Movement and later as the Harlem Renaissance, which would have an enormous impact on the culture of the era. Continued segregation, even in the North forced African-Americans into specific areas in cities leading to a melting pot of cultures and experiences.
Explore more about migration and African American heritage
- Immigration & travel records on MyHeritage
- A Checklist of African American Resources, webinar by Angela Walton-Raji on Legacy Family Tree Webinars
- African American Genealogy Research: Four Important Elements from the MyHeritage Blog
- Reasonably Exhaustive Research of Africa American Families that Came Out of Slavery, webinar by LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG, CGL, FASG on Legacy Family Tree Webinars
References
- ↑ II, Codis Hampton (2015-10-23). Remembering Moz: Gracie & John Hampton's First-Born. Outskirts Press. ISBN 9781478766056.