Migration as a Defining Force in American Society
America is often called the country of immigrants. While it is true that immigration processes largely impacted American life, these are migrations within the country that shaped its politics and society. At the same time, adopted policies influenced the movement of people across the states, giving this process a reciprocal and unending character. The most prominent migration during the period from the later years of the nineteenth century to the 1980s was the migration of the African-American population. During that period, Afro-Americans formed communities that subsequently had a significant say in the political and social life of the country.
Early African American Migration Patterns After Slavery
The geography of Afro-American communities reflects the migration processes characteristic of the Afro-American population in the period between the abolition of slavery and the end of the era of segregation. During the time of slavery, most Afro-Americans were deprived of the opportunity to migrate. In the South, there were numerous rural settlements with a predominance of the African American population, while in the North, African American communities were formed in several cities.
Many African Americans were deprived of the right to vote because they were unable to read or write. Moreover, there were segregation laws regulating the order of service in public places, the functioning of transport, the provision of medical services, and the registration of civil acts. As a result, African Americans were isolated in southern rural areas or migrated to nearby cities in the North. This is the first type of historical migration, reflected in the distribution of African American communities nationwide.
Industrial Migration and the Formation of Urban Communities
The second type of Afro-American migration to the North’s industrial cities was industrial migration to work in factories. With the start of the Industrial Revolution, many Afro-Americans moved to the cities in search of employment to provide for their families. They settled in houses built by enterprises, often situated in suburban settlements, subsequently absorbed by the city.
Finally, some Afro-Americans moved to the major cities of the North and West, the most important centers of the economy and commerce throughout the country. They believed these cities offered better life chances. However, these people did not have a clear employment plan and chose housing among the available accommodations for purchase. These were the cheapest houses, located, as a rule, in immigrant neighborhoods. Thus, some of the Chicago ghettos were formed in the southern areas inhabited by steel mill workers, and the rest, as a result of the replacement of the Italian and Jewish population in the west of the city.
The Great Migration and Its Political and Social Impact
These two types of migrations formed the Great Migration of African Americans, which began in the 1910s and lasted until the 1980s. This migration wave had a pronounced impact on American politics and social life. African Americans were largely disappointed with segregation practices adopted in society and made efforts to show that all people are born equal.
Riots and marches for African American rights gained more and more supporters, even among the white population, and paved the way for the adoption of many anti-segregation laws. Influenced by the ideas and brotherhood of people of all races, in 1984, Jesse Jackson campaigned for the ethnic, religious, and economic diversity of the country. Thus, he said that “even in our fractured state, all of us count and fit somewhere”. This speech largely determined the subsequent political course aimed at promoting equality for people of all races and ethnicities.
All segregation limitations were lifted, and people of colour could enjoy the same rights as the white majority. The new freedoms of the Afro-American population were reflected in Reagan’s First Inaugural Address, where he stated that “freedom and the dignity of the individual have been more available and assured [in America] than in any other place on Earth”. His speech on the role of the government demonstrated the changes that took place in society at that time. Indeed, the government was turning from the practices of division and segregation to ensuring the rights of each person, irrespective of their race or ethnicity.
Cultural Legacies and Ongoing Challenges in African American Communities
At the same time, life in African American communities often differed significantly from elsewhere. Since historically these were poorer districts, they were often home to crime, drug abuse, prostitution, and violence. The perception of life in Afro-American ghettos found its way into American culture through films and songs depicting the stark contrast between life in poorer Afro-American districts and elsewhere. Thus, in Statements from the Parents Music Resource Center, parents complained of violence, drug use, and sexual undercurrents that were depicted in many of the country’s popular songs and promoted delinquent behavior among the youth.
The parents said that “the proliferation of songs glorifying rape, sadomasochism, incest, the occult, and suicide by a growing number of bands” was a major cultural and societal challenge that had to be met by labeling these music products as “inappropriate for younger children”. Indeed, many of America’s greatest singers, such as Tupac Shakur, Pharrell Williams, DMX, and André 3000, depicted in their songs the life of poorer African-American communities and raised the problems the African-American population of those districts was facing.
The migration of the African American population in the 19th and 20th centuries largely impacted the political and social life of the country. The ideas of freedom, equality, and brotherhood of people of all races born in those communities soon spread across the whole country. The migration movement also gave birth to the culture of hip-hop and rock, with many songs depicting the challenges African American communities were facing.
Bibliography
Jackson, Jesse. On the Rainbow Coalition, 1894. The American Yawp Reader. Web.
Reagan, Ronald. First Inaugural Address, 1981. The American Yawp Reader. Web.
Statements from The Parents Music Resource Center, 1985. The American Yawp Reader. Web.