Why did many african americans participate in th e great migration?

There were two main reasons why African-Americans moved from the Southern part of the US to the Northeastern region.

1) Job opportunities- Due to the beginning of World War I, many white men were drafted into the military. This meant that they left jobs behind that other people could take. Along with this, factories needed to increased the amount of goods/resources they were producing in order to help the war effort. This means they needed more workers.

2) Jim Crow Laws/Segregation- During this time period (1910's), racism and violence were still very prevalent in the South. African-Americans were in constant fear of groups like the Ku Klux Klan. Even though racism still existed in the North, African-Americans were not faced with as many barriers/obstacles. Jim Crow laws, which separated blacks and whites into different facilities (like schools, restaurants, restrooms, etc.) were almost nonexistent in the North.)