✊🏿African American History – 1865 to Present Unit 3 – African American Leaders & Resistance: 1900-1950

Key Figures and Movements

• W.E.B. Du Bois was a prominent intellectual, writer, and civil rights activist who co-founded the NAACP and advocated for racial equality through his writings and leadership
  • Promoted the concept of the "Talented Tenth," arguing that educated African Americans should lead the fight for racial justice
  • Authored influential works such as "The Souls of Black Folk" (1903) and "Black Reconstruction in America" (1935)
• Booker T. Washington, an educator and leader, founded the Tuskegee Institute and promoted a philosophy of self-help and vocational education for African Americans
  • Delivered the famous "Atlanta Compromise" speech in 1895, which called for accommodation and gradual progress in race relations
• Marcus Garvey, a Jamaican-born activist, founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) and promoted black nationalism and Pan-Africanism
  • Encouraged economic self-sufficiency and pride in African heritage through his "Back to Africa" movement
• The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement in the 1920s and 1930s that celebrated African American art, literature, music, and intellectualism
  • Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Duke Ellington were among the notable figures associated with this movement
• The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), founded in 1909, became a leading civil rights organization that fought against racial discrimination and segregation through legal challenges and advocacy

Social and Political Context

• The early 20th century was marked by the rise of Jim Crow laws and segregation in the South, which institutionalized racial discrimination and limited opportunities for African Americans
• The Great Migration saw millions of African Americans move from the rural South to urban centers in the North and West, seeking better economic opportunities and escape from racial oppression
  • This demographic shift led to the growth of African American communities in cities like Chicago, New York, and Detroit
• World War I and World War II had a significant impact on African American society, as many served in the military and contributed to the war effort
  • The experience of fighting for democracy abroad while facing discrimination at home fueled demands for racial equality
• The Great Depression of the 1930s disproportionately affected African American communities, exacerbating economic hardships and social inequalities
• The rise of communism and socialism in the early 20th century influenced some African American intellectuals and activists, who saw these ideologies as potential paths to racial justice and economic equality

Strategies of Resistance

• Legal challenges to segregation and discrimination, such as the NAACP's campaign against racially restrictive housing covenants and school segregation
  • The landmark Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education (1954) declared school segregation unconstitutional
• Nonviolent direct action, including sit-ins, boycotts, and marches, to protest segregation and discrimination in public spaces
  • The Montgomery Bus Boycott (1955-1956) was a successful campaign against segregation on public buses in Alabama
• Political activism and voter registration drives to increase African American participation in the democratic process and elect black representatives
• Labor organizing and union activism to improve working conditions and wages for African American workers
  • A. Philip Randolph's Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters was a prominent African American labor union
• Cultural expression and the arts as a means of resistance, celebrating African American identity, and raising awareness about racial injustice
  • The Harlem Renaissance showcased the talents and creativity of African American artists and writers

Major Events and Milestones

• The formation of the NAACP in 1909 marked a significant step in the organized fight for civil rights
• The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s celebrated African American cultural achievements and fostered a sense of pride and identity
• The Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision in 1954 overturned the "separate but equal" doctrine and paved the way for school desegregation
• The Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955-1956, led by Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, successfully challenged segregation in public transportation
• The Little Rock Nine integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957, facing intense opposition and requiring federal intervention
• The sit-in movement of the early 1960s, initiated by students in Greensboro, North Carolina, protested segregation in public accommodations
• The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, brought national attention to the civil rights movement
• The passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were landmark legislative achievements that outlawed discrimination and protected voting rights

Cultural and Artistic Contributions

• The Harlem Renaissance saw an explosion of African American creativity in literature, music, art, and theater
  • Langston Hughes, a prominent poet and writer, celebrated African American culture and experiences in his works
  • Zora Neale Hurston, an anthropologist and author, wrote novels and short stories that portrayed African American life and folklore
• Jazz music, pioneered by African American musicians like Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, became a globally recognized art form and a symbol of American culture
• The blues, rooted in African American folk traditions, influenced the development of rock and roll and other popular music genres
• African American visual artists, such as Jacob Lawrence and Romare Bearden, depicted the experiences and struggles of black life through their paintings and collages
• African American athletes, like Jesse Owens and Jackie Robinson, broke racial barriers in sports and became national heroes

Impact on Civil Rights

• The efforts of African American leaders and activists during this period laid the groundwork for the modern civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s
• Legal victories, such as Brown v. Board of Education, set important precedents for challenging segregation and discrimination in various aspects of American life
• The success of nonviolent direct action campaigns, like the Montgomery Bus Boycott, demonstrated the power of organized resistance and inspired future civil rights activism
• The cultural and artistic achievements of the Harlem Renaissance and other movements fostered a sense of pride and identity among African Americans, which fueled the demand for racial equality
• The growing political influence of African Americans, through voter registration drives and the election of black representatives, increased pressure on the federal government to address civil rights issues

Challenges and Setbacks

• Despite the efforts of African American leaders and activists, progress toward racial equality was often met with fierce resistance and violence from white supremacists and segregationists
  • The Ku Klux Klan and other hate groups terrorized African American communities and civil rights workers
• Many African Americans continued to face poverty, discrimination, and limited economic opportunities, even as legal barriers to equality were being challenged
• The implementation of court-ordered desegregation, such as in the case of the Little Rock Nine, was often met with massive resistance from white communities and politicians
• Divisions within the African American community, such as the ideological differences between W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington, sometimes hindered the effectiveness of civil rights efforts
• The slow pace of change and the persistence of racial injustice led to frustration and disillusionment among some African Americans, particularly younger generations

Legacy and Continuing Influence

• The work of African American leaders and activists during this period inspired future generations of civil rights advocates and set the stage for the achievements of the 1950s and 1960s
• The legal precedents set by cases like Brown v. Board of Education continue to shape American jurisprudence and the fight for racial equality
• The cultural and artistic contributions of the Harlem Renaissance and other movements have had a lasting impact on American and global culture, influencing literature, music, art, and popular culture
• The legacy of nonviolent resistance and direct action, as exemplified by the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the sit-in movement, continues to inspire social justice movements around the world
• The ongoing struggle for racial justice and equality in the United States, from the Black Lives Matter movement to efforts to address systemic racism, builds upon the foundation laid by African American leaders and activists of the early 20th century