African-American Participation During World War I - Assignment Example

Discuss African American contributions to World War I. What issues did they face at home as they fought abroad? African Americans had a major impact during world war 1. However, at this time at home they faced quite a number of issues including racism and discrimination. Because of their recruitment into the US military African Americans felt that they earned more rights as American citizens in social, economic and political aspects. It is during the outbreak of the First world war in 1914 that the African Americans began the revolution for equal rights that involved the general African American community even those who were not serving in the military.

African Americans in general did not see the need for the US to be involved in the war but were still enrolled because it was an opportunity to prove they were just as capable as their white counterparts. They opted to fight under their French allies because they supported racial equality and gave them the recognition that their own countrymen did not. At this time, the US government did not want African Americans to serve in the war because they believed they did not have the same capabilities as their white counterparts.

Despite that, over 400,000 African Americans were in the army, hence, this prompted the white population to view this as a threat and not a contribution resulting in them to not be actively used when the war was over (Rucker and James 89).3. Define and describe the significance of the early Great Migration of African Americans out of the South.The early great migration of African Americans from the south was of great significance to date due to the broken promises of reconstruction and a corrupt criminal justice system from the US government.

The African American community left their farms and sort greener pastures in northern states because they were more industrialized. They also experienced great loss of their crops due to a severe weevil outbreak. The peak of this movement was between 1915 to 1920 with New York, Chicago and Detroit being most noticeably awfully hit. The northern states were in great need of labor and so their wages were higher than those of the South. The ascent of the Ku Klux Clan likewise served as a real explanation behind the relocation in light of the fact that they were against African American rights and butchered numerous African Americans.

Work CitedRucker, Walter C, and James N. Upton. Encyclopedia of American Race Riots: Vol. 1. Westport, Conn [u.a.: Greenwood Press, 2007. Print.