1918

Event dated 1918–1925

Great Migration Accelerates

Poet involved

What happened

The Great Migration, which accelerated in 1918, saw hundreds of thousands of African Americans leave the rural South for Northern industrial cities. This mass movement was driven by the search for better job opportunities and an escape from the oppressive Jim Crow laws of the South. The Great Migration had profound cultural implications, leading to the Harlem Renaissance and reshaping urban demographics, contributing to the civil rights movement, and influencing American culture and society.

Literary impact

The Great Migration accelerated the movement of African Americans to urban centers, fueling new poetic voices that celebrated Black urban life, identity, and resilience. Poets like Gwendolyn Brooks and Claude McKay captured the vibrancy and struggles of city life, making their works central to the Harlem Renaissance and the broader American literary canon.

Source: Wikipedia

Poets alive in 1918

216 poets

More events in 1918

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