Second Great Migration

Second Great Migration
Name	Second Great Migration
Date	1941 – c. 1970
Location	United States
Participants	African Americans
Outcome	Reshaped American demographics, politics, and culture

Second Great Migration. This was a transformative movement of more than five million African Americans from the rural Southern United States to the urban Northeast, Midwest, and West between 1941 and 1970. It was driven by the economic opportunities of the World War II industrial boom and the desire to escape the oppressive Jim Crow laws of the South. The migration fundamentally altered the racial, cultural, and political landscapes of major American cities and the nation as a whole.

Background and causes

The primary catalyst was the labor shortage created by World War II, as the defense industry rapidly expanded in cities like Detroit, Los Angeles, and Oakland. The Fair Employment Practices Committee, established by Franklin D. Roosevelt via Executive Order 8802, offered a promise of better treatment. Concurrently, the mechanization of agriculture, epitomized by the cotton picker, reduced demand for sharecropper labor. Persistent racial violence, including lynchings, and the entrenched system of segregation under Plessy v. Ferguson provided powerful push factors. The expansion of the railroad network and increased availability of automobiles facilitated the movement.

Demographic patterns

Migrants primarily originated from states across the Deep South and Upper South, including Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas. Key destinations included industrial centers like Chicago, which saw its Black Belt expand dramatically, and New York City, particularly the borough of Harlem. The San Francisco Bay Area attracted workers for shipyards, while Philadelphia and Cleveland also received large influxes. This period saw the growth of major African-American neighborhoods such as South Central Los Angeles and Paradise Valley in Detroit. The migration significantly increased the urbanization rate of the Black population.

Impact on destination regions

The influx provided a crucial labor force for industries like automotive manufacturing in Michigan and steel mills in Pennsylvania. This contributed to massive economic growth during the post–World War II economic expansion. However, it also intensified housing segregation, as practices like redlining by the Federal Housing Administration and restrictive covenants confined newcomers to overcrowded neighborhoods. Competition for jobs and housing sometimes sparked violent unrest, such as the Detroit race riot of 1943. The growing population concentration empowered political movements in cities, eventually leading to the elections of officials like Carl Stokes in Cleveland.

Social and cultural effects

The migration fostered a new urban African-American culture that gave rise to monumental artistic movements. In music, it fueled the evolution of rhythm and blues in cities like Chicago, which directly influenced the birth of rock and roll and Motown in Detroit, led by Berry Gordy. Writers of the Black Arts Movement, such as Amiri Baraka, and publications like *Ebony* magazine, reflected and shaped new urban identities. Religious institutions, including AME churches and new congregations of the Nation of Islam, served as vital community centers. This era also saw the rise of civil rights organizations like the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE).

Comparison with the First Great Migration

While the First Great Migration (1916–1940) involved about 1.6 million people fleeing the South primarily for Midwestern industrial jobs, the second wave was larger in scale and broader in geographic scope, extending to the West Coast. The first migration occurred amidst World War I and the Great Depression, whereas the second was propelled by the World War II and Cold War economic booms. Culturally, the first migration spurred the Harlem Renaissance, while the second directly underpinned the Civil Rights Movement and the development of modern African-American music.

Legacy and historical significance

The migration permanently redistributed the African American population, making it a predominantly urban demographic. It provided the demographic base and organizational strength for the Civil Rights Movement, supplying leaders like Rosa Parks (a migrant from Alabama to Detroit) and critical support for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The political power consolidated in cities led to the passage of landmark legislation including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The cultural innovations born in northern and western cities, from jazz to hip hop, became dominant forces in global popular culture. The migration also laid bare enduring patterns of residential segregation and economic disparity that continue to shape American society.

Category:African-American history Category:Demographic history of the United States Category:20th century in the United States