Figure 1.-- Here we see African American children playing on the street in Chicago during 1941. By the tome of World War II there were sibstantial black populations in the major northern industrial cities. The war time mobilization of American indstry created job oportunities as never before and dre even more African Ameicans north.

The Great Migration findamentally changed the demographics of black America. By the time of World War II, African Americns were no longer a largely rural southern population. There was now a substantial black population in northern cities. After the Depression, World War II opened opportunities in the North never before available. The New Deal's civil rights record leaves much to be desired, but for the first time, range of programs provided substantive aid to familes living on the brink of subsistence. A major accomplishment was Executive Order 8802 (June 1941) which prohibited desrimination in Federal contracts. Although not fully implemented it had an important positive impact. The American mobilization for war resulted in an econmoic miracle beyond what the Axis or Anerica's allies believed possible. It was the greatest industrial mobilization in history. This required an enormous ecoomic expansion creating a vast number of jobs that simply cold not be filled without expansing the work fotce and replcing men consripted for military service. Blacks were hired in jobs and at salaries well above beyound what they had preciously experienced. As a result, the War continue to raws blacks north. This fired the migration north. ven more than World War I, the military experience created a demand for change and the belief that changes were possible. World War II involved many more black Americans than World War I both in war indutrie and in the militry. And it lasted three time a long.

Created: 7:10 PM 1/10/2018
Last updated: 7:10 PM 1/10/2018