The Impact of World War I on African Americans Essay

â€Å"Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new na-tion, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal,† a quote by America’s 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, directly recalling how equality was the catalyst for the conception of America. It’s a universal right that should be known by all, but it was barely an option in our country for the African American faction almost a century ago. Chained, chastised and condemned, the African American had to surpass through radical odds to get to a mediocre amount of respect. When World War I first began, many citizens of America saw it as a seemingly distant European conflict that they couldn’t be bothered with.†¦show more content†¦Before WWI, most black people had been dehumanized, effectively stripping them of the feeling to vote and were bereft from protection from police. â€Å"I am in the darkness of the south and I am try ing my best to get out,† an inspirational migrant from Alabama wrote to the Chicago Defender. New opportunities for the urban part of the North blos-somed when the war reared its ugly head. The American industrial economy grew vigorously, and as existing European immigrants and white women were unable to meet demand, northern businesses leaned to black southerners to fill their place. When the word of higher wages and ameliorated working conditions spread around, northern businesses were met with positive feed-back as black men, in significant numbers came flocking, thus sprouting a social movement out of urban misery. The War, unknowingly, set the par for work for African Americans and the North became a liberating meadow for all those who sought equality and wanted to avoid the ‘racist menace’. When the grey cloud of the War reached American territory, President Woodrow Wil-son changed his original plan of neutrality, after several provocations, finally declarin g war on Europe. â€Å"The world must be made safe for democracy,† Wilson stated to assure the rights of de-mocracy are kept safe. These specific words sung across the African American’s ears, who ogled this as an opportunity to pledge America with true democracy. AfricanShow MoreRelatedThe Black Renaissance And The Great Depression971 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout history African Americans have not had it easy. Blacks in America have had a long struggle to gain equality and freedom, which still exists to this day. The years 1917 to 1945 were particularly tough for African Americans. 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