Chicago: Destination for the Great Migration The Chicago Defender and Black Migrants from the South

The Chicago Defender was a remarkably successful in encouraging blacks to migrate from the South to Chicago, often listing names of churches and other organizations to whom they could write for help. As a result, thousands of prospective migrants wrote letters to black churches, such as the Bethlehem Baptist Association in Chicago, Illinois, which assumed the task of helping black migrants find housing and employment. They also helped migrants to adjust to their new environment.

A handwritten letter to the Bethlehem Baptist Association.[Letter from Mrs. J. H Adams, Macon, Georgia, to the Bethlehem Baptist Association in Chicago, Illinois,] 1918. Holograph Carter G. Woodson Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress (119)

A handwritten letter to the Bethlehem Baptist Association with date of 1918.[Letter from Cleveland Galliard of Mobile, Alabama, to the Bethlehem Baptist Association, Chicago, Illinois,] 1917. Holograph. Carter G. Woodson Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress (120)
Chicago Community Center

The geographic isolation and discriminatory school policies imposed on urban blacks gradually lowered the quality of their public education system and inspired the use of stopgap measures to solve such problems as overcrowding. For example, the Ida B. Wells housing project community center was used to alleviate overcrowding in the kindergarten classes of the Chicago school system.

A group of children entering a building. Ida B. Wells housing project, Chicago, Illinois, April 1942. Jack Delano, Photographer. Photomural from gelatin-silver print. FSA-OWI Collection, Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (121)
National Youth Administration Meeting

The National Youth Administration, signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1935, was the only New Deal agency primarily designed to meet the employment and educational needs of American youth. By December 1940, resident training centers had been established for rural youths, blacks, and students. Each center had a "Citizenship Instructor" who held youths to practice the business of self-government.

3 African-American females. National Youth Administration girls and their instructor at the Good Shepherd community center, Chicago (south side), Illinois. April, 1941. Russell Lee, Photographer. Photomural from gelatin-sliver print. FSA-OWI Collection, Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (122)
Fighting Job Discrimination

In “the Promised Land” of Chicago, many black migrants still had to join picket lines to fight for fair wages. Some foremen in various companies discriminated by placing restrictions upon the promotion and advancement of black workers, frequently preventing them from earning higher wages.

An African-American man carrying a sign. Carrying a sign in front of a milk company, Chicago, Illinois. July, 1941. John Vachon, Photographer. Gelatin-silver print. FSA-OWI Collection, Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (123)

A group of African-American protesters carrying signs. Picket line at the Mid-City Realty Company, Chicago, Illinois. July, 1941. John Vachon, Photographer. Gelatin-silver print. FSA-OWI Collection, Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (124)
Black-Owned Restaurant

Many of the black migrants who came to Chicago between 1910 and 1930 started businesses and became entrepreneurs. The “Perfect Eat” Shop, a restaurant on 47th street near South Park, is an example of such a business. It was owned by Ernest Morris, seen standing in the rear of the restaurant.

African-Americans sitting in a diner. The Perfect Eat Shop, a restaurant on 47th street near South Park, owned by Mr. Ernest Norris. Chicago, Illinois. April, 1942. Jack Delano, Photographer. FSA-OWI Collection, Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (125)
Apartment Building in Chicago's “Black Belt”

Chicago's South Side "black belt" contained zones related to economic status. The poorest blacks lived in the northernmost, oldest section of the black belt, while the elite resided in the southernmost section.

A 3-story building with outside steps going to each level. Apartment building in a black section of Chicago, Illinois. April, 1941. Russell Lee, Photographer. Gelatin-silver print. FSA-OWI Collection, Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress (126)

Voluntary migration often occurs for economic reasons; the "Great Migration" of African Americans to Chicago after WWI is an example of this type of movement. This article discusses the challenges and triumphs of Chicago's newest residents. Read the descriptions of the documents and write a short paragraph describing the ways new residents helped each other, as well as the challenges they faced.