Black Nationalism and New Political Power
GROWING POLITICAL POWER IN THE NORTH
World War I set the stage for African Americans to reenter American politics. The Great Migration of African Americans to the North had a significant impact as well. As their numbers grew in city neighborhoods, African Americans became an influential voting bloc as part of the growing Democratic party coalition. In 1928, African American voters in Chicago helped elect Oscar DePriest, the first African American representative from a Northern state. |
THE NAACP BATTLES INJUSTICE
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) battled hard against segregation and discrimination against African Americans. Its efforts focused primarily on lobbying public officials and working through the court system. The NAACP's persistent protests against the horrors of lynching led to the passage of antilynching legislation in the House of Representatives in 1922. The Senate defeated the bill, but the NAACP's ongoing protests kept the issue in the news. Lynchings decreased in the years following the bill, but it is difficult to determine how much impact the bill itself had.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) battled hard against segregation and discrimination against African Americans. Its efforts focused primarily on lobbying public officials and working through the court system. The NAACP's persistent protests against the horrors of lynching led to the passage of antilynching legislation in the House of Representatives in 1922. The Senate defeated the bill, but the NAACP's ongoing protests kept the issue in the news. Lynchings decreased in the years following the bill, but it is difficult to determine how much impact the bill itself had.
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BLACK NATIONALISM AND MARCUS GARVEY
While the NAACP fought for integration and improvement in the economic and political position of African Americans, other groups began to emphasize black nationalism and black pride. Some began calling for African Americans to separate from white society. A dynamic leader from Jamaica, Marcus Garvey captured the imagination of millions of African Americans with his "Negro Nationalism." Garvey founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), aimed at promoting black pride and unity. He was inspired by Booker T. Washington's call for self-reliance. The central message of Garvey's Harlem-based movement was that African Americans could gain economic and political power by educating themselves. Garvey also advocated separation and independence from whites. In 1920, he told his followers they would never find justice or freedom in America. He proposed leading them to Africa. |