How did the Race Movement affect Southern life?

Like my predesessors wrote, blacks came back from the war hoping for some equal treatment, like they had received from their European allies. But what they got instead was extreme disillusionment with the white people who were even more into segregation and racism than before. The war didn't cause any mass emotional bonding between "the negro and the white man." To the contrary, after the war things were so bad that people started supporting Marcus Garvey in thinking that they should form their own nations in Africa. They no longer supported W. E. B. Du Bois' theory of the "New Negro." His theory of fighting in the war to prove equality failed, and Garvey's quasi-military stance seemed more appropriate in light of the white American's prejudice. This shows in my project of the Atlanta Woman's Club, when black women began forming their own clubs instead of caring that the white women wouldn't accept them. One club led by a colored woman actually got into the General Federation of Women's Clubs, but only accidentally, and the GFWC told the club that they had made a mistake and they were no longer a member of this prestigious federation (Gere and Robbins).

How did the "Race Movement" affect Southern Life

Following the end of World War I, it was clear to African-Americans that the acceptance into society that Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois had hoped for was not going to happen. During the War, several thousand African Americans directly helped the war effort, yet their deeds went unappreciated by Whites on their return home. The fight for civil rights continued onward in the face of race riots and violence. during the war, Southern Blacks underwent a mass migration to the Northern cities in order to find suitable work vacated by white soldiers abroad. However, they were only to be replaced again once the white soldiers returned. Racial relations were very tense and a new "Black Nationalism" movement sprung up, guided by Marcus Garvey. Garvey advocated for Blacks to willingly separate from Whites and build their own nation. Garvey's philosophy, coupled with infighting among Black leadership, meant that African-Americans could not find a unified voice on how to fight for civil rights. The fight would again be postponed

How did the "race movement" affect southern life?

After returning home from World War One, many African American soldiers expected to have earned the respect of the white American population. However, they arrived home to find that segregation was still high, and some black veterans were even lynched. The African American soldiers believed that because they fought for democracy under the American flag, they would now find true democracy, equality and respect at home.
This lack of change sparked the rise of the “New Negro” movement, and 1919 was a year of “race riots”. The black veterans no longer submitted to the white southern society’s segregation and racism, leading to a surge in lynch mobs. As the African Americans were no longer willing to ignore the discrimination, there was much more violence. Some African Americans who did not go to war were affected also. Many took over the jobs of the white men who went to war and upon their return, became unemployed.
The ‘race movement’ was led by Marcus Garvey, who focused on the ideas of self-sufficiency and separatism to inspire black nationalism. All of these situations had an effect on southern life and caused many African Americans to move north.

How did the "Race Movement" Affect Southern Life?

During WWI, the diminished labor force caused jobs to open up for African Americans all over the country. Many migrated North for new job opportunities. While this movement of African Americans out of th North might seem like it would lessen the impact of a new post-war mentality among African Americans, the impact was still extreme. The "war for democracy" gave African Americans the expectation of democracy at home. They fought to give the people of Europe a voice and felt they had more than earned their own equality. The returning soldiers wanted to be seen as "independent and proud." When they returned home to the South, the racism and meager jobs that awaited them was too large a blow to deal with, leading to violent race conflict. The NAACP continued its work for equal rights but some African Americans didn't think this was enough and instead started the short-lived black nationalism movement hoping for an proud black nation, separate and free from whites. The post-war atmosphere was a disappointment for the black Americans who had so believed in Wilson's beautiful words about freedom and democracy, the return home was truly disillusioning.

How did the “race movement” affect southern life?

After the war, the Black veterans felt that they would come home and find less segregation and because they fought to instill democracy, that they would get that at home as well. Soon after came the rise of the “New Negro” and many blacks were beginning to stand up and fight for their rights. An organization called the NAACP or National Association for the Advancement of Colored People formed and the popularity of this group quickly spread. Although after the war they were beginning to seem hopeful, those Blacks who got a job while most white men were at war, then lost their jobs as the white soldiers returned home and got their jobs back. Many riots began to take place along with lynching which quickly diminished almost all hope that the NAACP would be successful in reaching equality for Blacks. An important man named Marcus Garvey stood out from the crowd because he did not give up hope and tried his hardest to influence others not to give up as well. Garvey founded the UNIA or Universal Negro Improvement Association and started what was then called “Black Nationalism.” Although there were many attempts for equality after the war, the racism remained and it could even be argued that it worsened.

"Race movement" and southern life

After the first world war, Africans came back home in what seemed like worse conditions. Blacks employed during the war were laid off and were not able to find jobs. Racism escalated, and violence against blacks increased as well. Veterans were even lynched. Segregation and racial inequality continued as the "normal" way of life for both whites and blacks in the south. As a result, race riots spurred and blacks formed their own movement against the whites. The main leader was Marcus Garvey who advocated for black nationalism and wanted a separate black nation. They believed that integration and equality were false hopes and that the black people should simply separate themselves. However, this movement did not last long as black leaders ended up disputing against one another and Garvey misused the movement's money.

How did the "race movement" affect southern life?

1919 was a year of race riots. The blacks who had served in the armed forces thought that they would be treated more equally upon returning to America. They had fought for democracy overseas and hoped that this would help bring democracy to themselves; however, they were mistaken. In the South, black veterans who were no longer willing to take insults and discrimination were attacked by lynch mobs. There was a lot more violence now that black veterans and other black people involved in the race movement were willing to stand up for their civil rights. Furthermore, blacks who had filled in at work for the white men off at war were now jobless as the veterans returned to their jobs. Marcus Garvey started the movement of black nationalism based on the ideas of separatism and self-sufficiency. These movements affected southern life because there was a lot of black migration to the north, which further increased racial tensions.

Atlanta Public Housing 1950-2000

This is an image of the completed Techwood Homes in 1948. This images shows children playing outside. However the Techwood Homes until 1968 was a strictly all white. Shortly before the 1996 Olympics the Techwood Homes was destroyed because of the worry that it may not show Atlanta in a good light. The Centennial Place took the place of the destroyed Techwood Homes.

The writing below this picture says: Portrait of Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin. From Mrs. Booker T. Washington, "Club- Work Among Negro Women," in John William Gibson and W.H. Crogman, Progress of a Race (Atlanta: J. L. Nichols, 1903). This woman helped create Homes for Aged Colored Women across the nation, from the North to the South. I thought this was relevant as her clubs were the first clubs for African-American women. I will see if there is more about African-American woman's clubs in Atlanta. This is taken from:
Claiming Public Space for Women's History in Boston: A Proposal for Preservation, Public
Art, and Public Historical Interpretation
Author(s): Gail Lee Dubrow
Source: Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, Vol. 13, No. 1 (1992), pp. 111-148
Published by: University of Nebraska Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3346948

Atlanta City Planning, 1950-2000

I found an article in the Chicago Tribune which analyzes the impact of the 1996 Olympic Games on the city of Atlanta. For the most part, the games brought a new breath of life into the city as well as reviving the sluggish downtown area. However, some of the economic promise that the games might have brought seem not to be too glorious. yet some retain hope. As one person interviewed in the article states, "The Olympics is about economic development of cities’ institutions. It’s a corporate event, not a common-person event.”

http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2009/sep/21/local/chi-olympics-atlanta-21-sep21

Atlanta Education System 1950-2000

This is a photo of the delegates from the 42nd annual conference of the NAACP. It was held in Atlanta, Georgia from June 26-July 1, 1951. It was in this period that the NAACP launched its "equality under law" campaign to end segregation in public schools, specifically primary and secondary schools. There were several lawsuits including one against the Atlanta school system in 1950. It was this campaign, spearheaded by Thurgood Marshall, that led to the 1954 Brown vs Topeka Board of Education. This decision, ruling segregated schools unconstitutional, would dominate the education arena in Atlanta, as well as the entire south, in the years to come.

Atlanta City Planning 1900-1950

I found an article in The New York Times from November 20, 1910 called "South Attracts Winter Tourists." This article is about the newly constructed roads in the South and also the utilization of the older roads. By this time automobiles were gaining popularity and many people enjoyed taking site-seeing trips to the South for leisure.This was great news for upcoming Southern cities such as Atlanta because this drew more people into the city and it also gained recognition. Although there was still no direct route from the North to the South, the roads were becoming better and it was easier to travel these long distances. In only a few instances was it necessary to take ferries to other roads. Atlanta drew in crowds because of their many tourist attractions and showed that South was no longer completely "on its own" and that it was becoming connected with other major cities in the North.

http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?sid=10&vinst=PROD&fmt=10&startpage=-1&clientid=394&vname=HNP&RQT=309&did=102051731&scaling=FULL&vtype=PQD&rqt=309&cfc=1&TS=1266548868&clientId=394

Atlanta Politics 1900-1950

This document is a picture taken in 1946 when 2 black men were lynched. This illustrates that Atlanta still had a lot of anti-black animosity despite reforms being made towards progress. Anti-black and racist sentiments still lingered in the South, directly affecting the political climate of the era with regards to increased political awareness of racism, laws being passed and the issue of enfranchisement. This anti-black sentiment also created a hostile political environment that, like many cities in the south, made it more difficult for Atlanta to develop compared to the Northern cities.

This is an image of Washington Park in 1950. These parks were important in adding green space to the city. The southern cities are characterized by their rural appearance, in contrast to northern cities. These parks also provided recreational space for people to be able to play sports and take part in outdoor activities. Like most other aspects of the city of Atlanta during this time period, parks were segregated for whites and blacks. This particular park was the first African-American park in Atlanta, which was built in 1922.

Atlanta City Planning 1950-2000

This image of Atlanta shows just how urbanized it has become. No longer is it a southern city as depicted in David R. Goldfields book "A Regional Framework for the Urban South." Goldfield described southern cities as still dependent on its resources rather than a urban area where the city supports itself. Today, Atlanta is a thriving city full of major corporations like CNN studios and the Cocoa Cola Factory. One of the biggest accomplishments and what helped show the world Atlanta's achievement in becoming a major city was hosting the 1996 Summer Olympics. It was the first time the Olympics were held in the South. It gave the world a new image of the Southern City.

Discuss An Image

Atlanta Suburbanization (1900-1950):

This is a picture of a stadium in Atlanta, Georgia in 1948. This shows/embodies suburbanization because people started really becoming involved with extra curricular activities for pleasure. I liked this because it was taken with a Diana camera. When people started moving out of the city, the reasons for people going back into the city were for pleasure activities and for inner city work.

Atlanta Public Housing 1950-2000

My primary source will be the book Public Housing and Urban Renewal: An Analysis of Federal-Local Relations by Richard D. Bingham. The book is essentially to my topic because it goes in-depth about why and how public housing is an integral part of city growth and expansion. Unfortunately, the book does not focus on the public housing in Atlanta but it is still vital in understanding the topic of public housing. I will use other sources that are more specific to public housing in Atlanta.

Atlanta City Planning, 1950-2000

I will be referring to a book titled "Sprawl city: Race, Politics, and Planning in Atlanta" over the course of this project. The book centers on how segregation, desegregation and racial politics shaped city planning in the latter half of the twentieth century. The other focus of the book is the effect of urban sprawl on the Atlanta populace and the city in general.

Atlanta's Woman's Club

I found an 1895 advertisement courtesy of the U.S. Library of Congress for the Columbia Bicycle company. It shows a woman standing next to a bicycle in a shorter skirt than was previously worn. It is important to recognize that by using a woman in the advertisement, they demonstrated the large impact that the invention of bicycles had on women’s lives. It allowed them much more freedom than previously experienced as it provided them a fit mode of transport to attend their various activities. The number of women’s clubs in Atlanta rapidly expanded with the invention of the bicycle. It allowed women to experience greater freedom and entertainment than before, and aided in the shifting of women’s lives away from home duties. The bicycle had a significant impact on Atlanta's women's daily lives.

Atlanta Education 1950-2000

One of my primary documents is a New York Times article from January 1958. It's called "Negroes Sue to End Atlanta School Bias." This was the first major law suit to try to end Georgia's segregation in public schools. The Georgia governor was hugely against integration and said he would close the Georgia public schools rather than let them integrate. Thurgood Marshall, of the NAACP was the main lawyer for the plaintiffs. This article says a lot about Atlanta and Georgia. This region is very obviously going against federal Supreme Court decisions. This is just one indicator of Atlanta and Georgia's avid fight against integration and the effects its having on society and life.

City planning

One of my main sources for the Atlanta project will be the book Applying Urban History to City Planning: A Case Study in Atlanta. It talks about how Atlanta expanded its downtown in the 1970s, and going into decrepit parts of the city and restoring them. This book by Stephen W. Grable, also gives the history of Atlanta in the ways the city is and was laid out. One of the ways the city was laid out depended on race and income level. Grable also looks at how the city is looking to accommodate the retailers to keep business inside the city which encourages people to continue live within the city. While the section of the book that details city planning in Atlanta is brief, the information is facinating and useful in reseaching the modern city of Atlanta.

Atlanta City Planning 1900-1950

My primary source document is an article from The New York Times in 1923. This article describes how the city of Atlanta evolved and all of the exciting changes that were beginning to occur. The beginning of the article mentions the attractions of Atlanta including a Grand Opera Company, Symphony Orchestra, “one of the country’s best school systems” and many others. This article puts a very positive spin on the city planning and spends much more time pointing out all of the positive aspects of the city and overlooking some of the negative. It mentions the racial segregation, but quickly continues on describing the upbeat, lively atmosphere and all of the driven people who are attracted to this city. The article goes on to mention that schooling is now becoming one of the most prized aspects of Atlanta and that great school opportunities are available for both whites and blacks. This article gives a helpful overview of the rising city and its upcoming attractions.

(Here's the link to my article I have no idea how to add it)

http://proquest .umi .com/pqdweb ?did=98533601 &sid=2 &Fmt=2 &clientId=394 &RQT=309 &VName=HNP

Atlanta Woman's Club (primary source)

I found an article published in 1906 from the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 28, under Woman's Work and Organizations. It is entitled "The Effect of Club Work in the South." Sage Publications and JStor made this available. This article, written by Mrs. A. O. Granger, discusses the recent arrival of woman's clubs in the South. The author argues the fact that although woman's club were new, they achieved a great deal of improvement. She states, "The efforts of the club women of Atlanta, Georgia were principally responsible for the establishment of a reformatory in their county..." and continues listing their achievements. I believe this article will provide useful information that will enable me to compare and contrast woman's club in the South in general and Georgia in particular.

Atlanta City Planning, 1900-1950 (Primary Source)

One of my primary sources is an image taken of the Railroad Plaza and the viaducts from Central to Broad streets in 1938. This image shows how the construction of the viaducts put the railroad system below the level of the city where cars were becoming a prominent mode of transportation. This image illustrates the many forms of transportation that were available in Atlanta at that time and how the city planning adapted to these modes of transportation. The invention of the automobile allowed for Atlanta's population to disperse into the city's suburbs. Therefore, the downtown area became highly commercialized while residential areas moved to the suburbs. This image depicts the commercialized downtown area. There are tall office buildings and a lot of parked cars but no people on the streets, so one can assume that they are inside the buildings working. There are no visible houses or residential areas, illustrating how the city transformed from centralized housing to decentralized housing in the outsides of city limits.

Atlanta Public Housing 1950-2000

Atlanta was a pioneer in public housing. In 1936 the Techwood Homes became the nation's first public housing project. And as time passed and America entered the 50's and 60's Atlanta public housing primary purpose was urban renewal. Despite the optimism that engulfed the public housing projects there were constant plagues that prevented it from being wildly successful. The primary detriment was racial segregation.

Atlanta City Planning from 1950-2000

Atlanta has come a long way since 1950. I believe that one of the most important developments for the City were the Olympic Games of 1996. Not only did the games signify the importance of the city in the US, but also it's introduction as an international city on the world stage. Of course, this is quite a development for Atlanta, a Southern city divided between two cultures, one modern and one traditional. Accompanying these changes is Atlanta's population, which continues to grow.

Atlanta City Planning 1950-2000

For this project I plan on looking into how the 1996 Summer Olympics impacted Atlanta and how it was affected after the games left. This was the first Olympics to be held, not only on the Eastern part of the United States, but also the First Olympics in the South.
Atlanta has a rich history and the city has strived to maintain and preserve its buildings, both commercial and residential. Over 200 building are cared for as historical sites. Although Atlanta continues to remember its heritage, it has grown exponentially from 513,000 in 1950, to 2,691,000 in the year 2000. This makes Atlanta one, if not the largest city in the South.

Atlanta City Planning 1900-1950

In the early 1900’s Atlanta began to industrialize and a city began to form. Much construction was taking place including the development of parks, monuments, and big business buildings. Atlanta was transforming into an economic society and leaving behind the older southern ideals for consumerism. Although the economy was making great strides, equality was still a large issue. The revolutionary city was very much segregated with designated housing and parts of town for each race. The city was becoming more and more populated and with this greater population, came more opportunities. There was now entertainment available to a degree which had never before been reached in Atlanta. As more entertainment opportunities arose so did job opportunities. The former agrarian society now had the option to work in the city and put their skills to use. Although Atlanta was clearly moving in a positive direction, the city still had far more development to come in the latter part of the 20^th century.

Initial impression of Atlanta education system

As the urban core of the most-fast growing metropolitan area in United States, Atlanta is one of the largest concertation of the college and university.

And its education system is deeply affected by racial issues. Morehouse College is the only and frist all male black institution of higher learning in America.

During 20th century, the segregation and desegregation had a hot fight about wether letting black students and white students sit in one classroom. In stead of equal education system, the desegregation policies of the school served to hasten white flight out of certain neighborhoods and to concentrate students in predominantly single race schools through the selective use of student transfer procedure.

Describe Atlanta based on your subject research

Atlanta seemed to be a city of change and self-exploration for many women. After the civil war, women’s roles began to change. The focus began to shift away from home duties, allowing women’s lives to move outside of the home. They began to form women’s groups, which allowed them an opportunity to express their opinions on several public issues.
The invention of first the bicycle and later the streetcar and automobile greatly expanded a woman’s freedom. It gave them a way to attend their group meetings and socialize with other women. This freedom to travel was accompanied by a great boom in mass consumption. Department stores were developed and were a place where women could buy everything they needed or wanted.
Atlanta also saw women begin to break into the work force. Their jobs were stereotyped based on gender – women did do hard labor, but instead they participated in typewriting catalogues, or selling perfume behind counters in department stores. By having their own income, it allows them a small amount of independence from their husbands.
Women in Atlanta changed a lot between reconstruction and the early twentieth century. They began to have more freedom and independence, yet experienced little change in political power as they were still refused the right to vote.

Describe Atlanta based on your subject research. What are some initial impressions of the city based on your reading?

For the Atlanta project, I have been assigned to research Atlanta politics, 1950-2000. There is a particular book that I found that directly relates to this subject matter, a book by a group of authors, Bullard, Johnson and Torres entitled "Sprawl City: Rae, Politics, and Planning in Atlanta." The book was published in 2000 so it provides the right information with regards to the subject and the time period. What I've read so far is that Atlanta, like all other industrializing cities, experienced such a huge amount of influx into the suburbs (termed "suburban sprawl") which created problems, especially for people in poverty (specifically non-whites, poor, non-educated, lower class). The local city government was very focused on developing the city, putting up malls and such, while the "wealth disparity" was ever so increasing. Apparently, efforts to reduce poverty and these disparities had only benefitted in the 1960's and not so much in the 1990's. So far, the book looks very interesting, and it will be even more interesting to see what predictions (if it has any) it may make about Atlanta after the year 2000 since some comparisons can be made between what the book predicts and how reality turned out.

Atlanta Education 1950-2000

Education in Atlanta has changed greatly during this 50 year period. According to City of Atlanta data, high school graduation attainment has changed 74.6% and college graduation attainment has changed 297.5%. Changes in Atlanta's education shows reflects much more than just numbers of graduates. The quality and form education has taken in this city is very telling about other deeper issues going on at the time. One very telling example has to do with race. In 1959 a Georgia court ruled that Atlanta's segregated school system was illegal and ordered that integration begin. It was only 40 years later that, far from being forced to allow black students in white schools, Atlanta took the initiative to integrate African American History and Culture into a formerly white and European centered curriculum. This, along with similar stories, shows how Atlanta's education reflects Atlanta as a whole.

Atlanta City Planning, 1900-1950

Atlanta transformed into a city of commerce during the first decades of the 20th century. With this economic change, came many changes in the structure of the city. In the 1920s a series of viaducts were constructed, which elevated the city above the railroad tracks. Both whites and blacks were expanding commercially; however, Atlanta remained a segregated city, and the layout of the city confirmed this. Auburn Avenue became the business and entertainment district for blacks, and new buildings were constructed here to provide for office space. The city also grew very fond of sports and therefore a lot of recreational facilities could now be found around the city. Along with smaller neighborhood parks, two large public parks, Grand Park and Piedmont Park, were established. Washington Park, the first public park for black citizens in Atlanta, was also established. The city also bought park space in the residential areas of West End, Ashley Park, Druid Hills, and Candler Park. Furthermore, the construction of the first public housing projects took place during this time, and like the rest of Atlanta, these were segregated into Techwood Homes for whites and University Homes for blacks.

Source: Andy Ambrose, Atlanta: An Illustrated History (2003).

Atlanta Woman's Club

My Atlanta Project is on the Women's Club Movement. In class we read in Chapter 19 about women's clubs founded in the late 1800s. Jane Croly founded Sorosis in New York in 1868, and started a movement that spread across the nation. Women's clubs gave professional women a chance to join together and participate in civil reform, politics, and other issues. In the South, black women began to form organizations and even participate in some clubs founded by whites, such as the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (Liberty, Equality, Power, 576).
In my research about women's clubs and Atlanta, the most interesting website has been that of the Atlanta Women's Club. This club was formed on November 11, 1895, and is located in Wimbish Mansion, located on the famous Peachtree Street. It is a national, state, and historical landmark. The Atlanta Women's Club states that its mission is to improve the "local community" and quotes Rebecca Lowe, president of the club from 1896-1897, as saying that they are privileged women "with superior intellect" and "graceful tact" who should give back to their community. The fact that this club is still thriving, along with many other clubs in Georgia, shows that Atlanta, for one, though very urbanized, has not let go of its historical past (www.atlwc.org).

Role of railroads in changing southern society

The railroad plays an important role in urbanizing southern area.
The easier access to southern area made the commercial goods and capital investment would flow to their area. There is no doubt that the railroad is a economic plus to the south.
However, the railroad brought more social changes to southern ideal. People began to seek more opportunities to make a fortune in the west when the railroad made it possible. And some African Americans moved to northern area to seek for freedom and equality.
After civil war the southern area is in a big chaos of race conflict, segregation. The civil war and economic growth had crushed the traditional southern family-oriented notion, as well as the bio-racial society.