What was a key motivation for African Americans during the Great Migration?

A significant motivation for African Americans during the Great Migration was the escape from oppressive laws, particularly the Jim Crow laws prevalent in the South that enforced racial segregation and discrimination. These laws severely restricted the rights and freedoms of African Americans, leading to widespread disenfranchisement and violence, including lynchings and racial terror. Many were seeking not only safety but also the opportunity to live in a society where they could exercise their civil rights more freely.

The Great Migration represented a mass movement of African Americans to northern and western urban areas in search of better living conditions, economic opportunities, and a respite from the systemic racism that defined their lives in the South. The promise of a more equitable society in the North, coupled with industrial jobs arising from World War I, attracted many to leave their homes in search of a better future. While aspects such as educational opportunities and cultural movements also played roles in attracting migrants, they were largely secondary to the immediate need to escape oppressive conditions in the South.