Slavery officially ended in 1865 with the Thirteenth Amendment. But this did not mean that hard times were over. All of a sudden there were over 400,000 freed slaves who needed jobs and homes. Despite the fact that the law said they were free, many African Americans experienced discrimination due to segregation laws and racism. They were paid unfair wages and many ended up in debt. From the end of the Civil War to 1970 is known as the Great Migration. More than 7 million African Americans left the South in search of a better life. They established themselves in cities like Harlem where art, music, and literature flourished. During this time, there were many influential people who fought to end segregation and to improve the lives of African Americans. Marcus Garvey and W.E.B. Du Bois started organizations to unite African Americans. Booker T. Washington opened a university to promote education. Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. led nonviolent protests. Finally after 10 years of protests, the Civil Rights Act became law in 1964.
After the Civil War, African Americans were still experiencing discrimination and segregation. Many people chose to move North in search of equality and freedom. Langston Hughes was one of these migrants. He moved to New York City to attend college at Columbia University. He settled in Harlem, a thriving city full of jazz and blues music, art, and culture. Hughes became the “Voice of the Harlem Renaissance” and opened a window into African American culture. He was a gifted man who inspired many people with his poetry, plays, short stories, and autobiographies. Eventually more African Americans banded together and formed groups like the NAACP, which led to the Civil Rights Movement. They organized boycotts, marches, and other peaceful demonstrations to fight to end segregation. After 10 years of protests, President Kennedy passed the Civil Rights Act in 1964. Many people today believe that Hughes’s literature and poetry inspired people to take the action needed to end segregation.
