African American Southerners relocating to the Northern and Mid-Western cities. Even after
Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, the Southern states still ran
rampant with deeply rooted racist practices, mindsets, and harsh segregation laws. We see how
Southerners took advantage of African Americans in the practice of sharecropping. This hindered
the growth of newly freed slaves living in the South trying to make a life for themselves and their
families. In 1871, Congress passed the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871 to put an end to the terror
caused by the Klan. However, they still operated in secret and continued their terroristic ways
towards African Americans. The North and Midwestern cities were much more open to African
Americans and the fight for equality amongst all. The Great Migration brought out those seeking
greater economic opportunities, political platforms, and social justice. This movement brought
out platforms that would go on to influence the United States fight for equality throughout the
decades to come.
During the Great Migration, churches served as an important place for fellowship and
community among African Americans. Just as they served as a place of hope while in the South,
they carried that same purpose to the North. These churches groomed and birthed educators,
politicians, activists, and leaders who paved the way for generations to come. The allyship
received in the North was far greater than they had ever seen or felt within the South.
However, as millions were migrating all at once, the North became another place of
competition for African Americans. This time, the competition was amongst each other as jobs
were becoming less available and churches became overflowing with membership. During this
time, opportunities were being taken to transform older buildings into new centers for
2
fellowship. African Americans had much more autonomy over their religious affairs during the
migration. With the absence of Jim Crow laws in the North, many African Americans chose to
congregate in white churches. With the arrival of Southern migrants, came an influence of
different worship styles. Southern African Americans were much more expressive and emotional
with their worship styles. This influence brought about a blending of styles which included more
singing, movement, and participatory elements to already established Northern churches.
African American churches that were established during the Great Migration played a
central role in shaping the culture of burgeoning communities. These churches were spaces for
maintaining cultural traditions brought from the South, like worship styles. Churches in the
North, primarily African American churches, served as a great community center. This created a
space for a sense of much-needed belonging for those migrants who were facing discrimination
and hardship during their journey. African American churches also provided access to books,
newspapers, and forums for discussion. This helped shape the development of African American
literature, which contributed to movements like the Harlem Renaissance.
In the political aspect, African American churches were platforms for black voters which
encouraged political participation throughout the communities. Activists such as Adam Clayton
Powell Jr. used his leadership role in the church to raise awareness surrounding racial
inequalities. They served as a place where gatherings for addressing issues such as
discrimination, police brutality, job opportunities, and housing needs were discussed. These
meetings helped grow leaders in the community who would be a part of the Civil Rights
Movement.
3
Carter Woodson, The History of the Negro Church, The Associated Publishers: Washington,
D.C., 1921. https://docsouth.unc.edu/church/woodson/woodson.html
African American Religious History: A Documentary Witness, Durham, NC: Duke University
Press, 2000. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/liberty/reader.action?
docID=3007887&query=
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