In the context of the 20th-century history of the United States, the Second Great

Migration was the migration of more than five million African Americans from the
South to the North, Midwest and West. It took place from 1941, through World
War II, and lasted until 1970.[1] It was much larger and of a different character
than the first Great Migration (19101940).
In the Second Great Migration, more than five million African Americans moved
to cities in states in the North, Midwest and West, including many to California,
where Los Angeles, Oakland, and Long Beach offered many skilled jobs in the
defense industry. Most of these migrants were already urban laborers who came
from the cities of the South. In addition, some African Americans were still
treated with discrimination in many parts of the country, and many sought to
escape this.[1]
Contents
1 Urban settlement
2 Statistics
3 See also
4 References
5 Further reading
6 External links
Urban settlement
Compared to the more rural migrants of the period 1910-1930, many African
Americans in the South were already living in urban areas and had urban job
skills before they relocated. They moved to take jobs in the burgeoning industrial
cities and especially the many jobs in the defense industry during World War II
(WWII).[citation needed] Workers who were limited to segregated, low-skilled
jobs in some cities were able to get highly skilled, well-paid jobs at California
shipyards.[1]
By the end of the Second Great Migration, African Americans had become a
highly urbanized population. More than 80 percent lived in cities, a greater
proportion than among the rest of American society. Fifty-three percent remained
in the Southern United States, while 40 percent lived in the Northeast and North
Central states and 7 percent in the West.[1]
While African Americans were often relegated to support roles during WWII, often
these roles could be exceedingly hazardous. A munitions explosion at Port
Chicago, California, across the bay from San Francisco, claimed the lives of over
200 African Americans in 1944. When some of the workers refused to resume
work until conditions were made less hazardous, as many as 50 were tried for
mutiny and imprisoned.[2]
Other effects of the Second Great Migration:
Demographic changes in losing and gaining states;

African Americans became more unionized they became known as the churches
and ministers.
African Americans developed original religions and Christian movements, such as
the Nation of Islam and predominantly-black dominations within the Pentecostal
movement
Statistics
Blacks as a % of the Population By U.S. Region (19001970)[3]
Region

1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970

Northeast

1.8% 1.9% 2.3% 3.3% 3.8% 5.1% 6.8% 8.8%

Midwest

1.9% 1.8% 2.3% 3.3% 3.5% 5.0% 6.7% 8.1%

West 0.7% 0.7% 0.9% 1.0% 1.2% 2.9% 3.9% 4.9%

South 32.3%29.8%26.9%24.7%23.8%21.7%20.6%19.0%