A History of African American Heritage in Chicago The massive exodus to the north began in 1915; a population of people weary of pervasive hostility and constraint in their former lives, fleeing a social system comprised of miserable oppression and repeated violence. The primary cities for resettlement became New York and Chicago, metropolises humming with the vigor of big-city life and the excitement of a new beginning. When the Chicago Commission asked African American migrants in interviews on Race Relations in 1922 why they came to Chicago, responses were similar. "I'm looking for better wages." "I wanted to get away from the South, and to earn more money." "I wanted to better my living conditions." One man, when asked what his first impression of Chicago was, responded "When I got here and got on the street cars and saw colored people sitting by white people all over the car I just held my breath, for I thought that any minute they would start something, then I saw nobody......
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Approximate Word Count: 710
Approximate Pages: 3 (260 words per double-spaced page) |