The Great Migration and The Great Migration and Harlem RenaissanceHarlem Renaissance

Great Migration StatsGreat Migration Stats

1910: 7mm of 8mm African Americans live in 1910: 7mm of 8mm African Americans live in SouthSouth

By 1930 10% move NorthBy 1930 10% move North Increase in black population by city:Increase in black population by city:

New York 55%New York 55% Chicago 155%Chicago 155% Cleveland 307%Cleveland 307% Philadelphia 500%Philadelphia 500% Detroit 611%Detroit 611%

Why?Why?

Boll Weevil destroys Boll Weevil destroys cotton, 1898cotton, 1898

World War IWorld War I Halts immigrationHalts immigration Stimulates industryStimulates industry Creates labor shortageCreates labor shortage

Jim CrowJim Crow

Jacob Lawrence

Who and how?Who and how?

Most young menMost young men Over half from citiesOver half from cities Labor agents give train Labor agents give train

passespasses Ads in black Ads in black

newspapersnewspapers Letters home read aloud Letters home read aloud

in churchin church Many went in stagesMany went in stages

Once in the NorthOnce in the North

Scapegoated for wage dropsScapegoated for wage drops Residential segregationResidential segregation

City ordinances (till 1917)City ordinances (till 1917) Restrictive covenants (till 1948)Restrictive covenants (till 1948) White flightWhite flight

OvercrowdingOvercrowding 40 people/acre in Cleveland40 people/acre in Cleveland

Health problemsHealth problems Infant mortality is doubleInfant mortality is double

Race RiotsRace Riots

““Red SummerRed Summer”” Chicago Chicago 19191919 Beach disputeBeach dispute 38 killed38 killed

Tulsa 1921Tulsa 1921 300 killed300 killed 6000 imprisoned6000 imprisoned Attempted lynchingAttempted lynching

African American ProtestAfrican American Protest

NAACP wins court cases vsNAACP wins court cases vs Grandfather clause (1915)Grandfather clause (1915) Segregation ordinances (1917)Segregation ordinances (1917)

Urban League finds jobsUrban League finds jobs Marcus Garvey forms Universal Negro Improvement Marcus Garvey forms Universal Negro Improvement

AssociationAssociation Racial pride, self-help, rejects integrationRacial pride, self-help, rejects integration 700 branches and 200,000 subscribers700 branches and 200,000 subscribers Many businessesMany businesses Charged with mail fraud and deportedCharged with mail fraud and deported

Development of New York CityDevelopment of New York City

1811 Commission plans grid plan for New York, long before streets are built

Development moves inexorably uptownSignificant African-American population always on margins, moves uptown too.

Late 19Late 19ththc c ManhattanManhattan

African-Americans African-Americans mostly in Tenderloin, mostly in Tenderloin, San Juan HillSan Juan Hill

Harlem is partly Harlem is partly undeveloped, with undeveloped, with some mansions, some mansions, upper-middle-class upper-middle-class row houses and row houses and tenements, mostly tenements, mostly Jewish and Italian.Jewish and Italian.

Real Estate Development in Real Estate Development in HarlemHarlem

Mostly built Mostly built by by speculators.speculators.

Boom Boom follows plan follows plan for subway for subway connection.connection.

Strivers RowStrivers Row

Harlem Transformed into “Black Harlem Transformed into “Black Mecca” in early 20Mecca” in early 20thth c c

Harlem boom turns to bust – many vacant buildingsHarlem boom turns to bust – many vacant buildings Great Migration doubles migration rate of African-Great Migration doubles migration rate of African-

Americans to New YorkAmericans to New York Vacancy rates San Juan Hill are 3%Vacancy rates San Juan Hill are 3% African-Americans must pay 20-30% more rentAfrican-Americans must pay 20-30% more rent African-Americans feel unsafe Tenderloin - riotsAfrican-Americans feel unsafe Tenderloin - riots Booker T. Washington urge settlement uptown.Booker T. Washington urge settlement uptown. Philip Payton helps landlords fill buildings with Philip Payton helps landlords fill buildings with

African-AmericansAfrican-Americans Many whites refuse to live near African-Americans – Many whites refuse to live near African-Americans –

1901 riots encourage more to leave.1901 riots encourage more to leave.

Churches move to HarlemChurches move to Harlem

St. Philips Church, Episcopalian

Harlem RenaissanceHarlem Renaissance

Harlem becomes Harlem becomes intellectual and artistic intellectual and artistic centercenter

JazzJazz Poet, Langston HughesPoet, Langston Hughes Novelist, Zora Neale Novelist, Zora Neale

HurstonHurston Artists William Artists William

Johnson, Palmer Johnson, Palmer HaydenHayden

The Janitor who Paints, Palmer Hayden

Harlem RenaissanceHarlem Renaissance Harlem becomes intellectual Harlem becomes intellectual

and artistic centerand artistic centerhttp://www.jcu.edu/harlem/index.htmhttp://www.jcu.edu/harlem/index.htm

JazzJazz Duke EllingtonDuke Ellingtonhttp://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/

artist_id_ellington_duke.htmartist_id_ellington_duke.htm

Poet, Langston HughesPoet, Langston Hughes Novelist, Zora Neale Novelist, Zora Neale

HurstonHurston Artists William Johnson, Artists William Johnson,

Palmer Hayden, Jacob Palmer Hayden, Jacob LawrenceLawrence

http://www.phillipscollection.org/migration_series/http://www.phillipscollection.org/migration_series/index.cfmindex.cfm

The Janitor who Paints, Palmer Hayden

William Johnson, William Johnson, Moon over HarlemMoon over Harlem