Key Terms and Concepts in African American History (1877-1915)

This set of flashcards focuses on key terms and concepts related to African American history, particularly from 1877 to 1915, aiding in the study for the exam.

Group Economy

An economic structure where members of a group (often defined by race or ethnicity) leverage their resources to support one another.

Talented Tenth

A term coined by W.E.B. Du Bois referring to the leadership class of African Americans who were to lead the race to advancement.

A. Philip Randolph

An American labor leader and civil rights activist known for founding the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and advocating for the rights of African American workers.

Accommodationism

The strategy of accepting segregation and inequality while seeking gradual improvement through vocational training and economic advancement.

Alain Locke

A philosopher and writer who is often referred to as the 'father of the Harlem Renaissance' for his influence on African American cultural identity.

Atlanta Compromise Speech

A speech by Booker T. Washington in 1895 advocating for black educational and economic advancement while accepting social segregation.

Birth of a Nation

A 1915 film that glorified the Ku Klux Klan and vilified African Americans, significantly impacting American racial attitudes.

Booker T. Washington

An African American educator and leader who advocated for vocational training and economic self-sufficiency for black people.

Carter G. Woodson

An African American historian, author, and journalist known as the 'father of black history' for initiating Black History Month.

Debt Peonage

A system where workers are tied to their employers through debt, making it difficult for them to escape poverty.

Great Migration

The movement of over six million African Americans from the rural South to urban areas in the North and West from 1916 to 1970.

Harlem Hell Fighters

The 369th Infantry Regiment, an African American regiment that fought bravely in World War I and received international recognition.

Harlem Renaissance

A cultural, social, and artistic explosion centered in Harlem, New York during the 1920s, celebrating black culture.

Ida B. Wells

An African American journalist and anti-lynching activist who documented and exposed the violence against African Americans.

Imperialism

A policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force, often associated with racial ideologies.

James Weldon Johnson

A civil rights activist, poet, and educator known for his contributions to the NAACP and his role in advancing black culture.

Jim Crow

State and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States.

Ku Klux Klan

A secret society that promotes white supremacy and has historically engaged in acts of terrorism against African Americans.

Langston Hughes

A leading figure of the Harlem Renaissance, known for his poetry that explored themes of race and identity.

Lynching

Extrajudicial killings, often by mob violence, predominantly targeting African Americans.

Marcus Garvey

A Jamaican political leader and activist who promoted black nationalism and founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA).

Mary Church Terrell

An educator and civil rights activist who was one of the first women to earn a college degree, she advocated for women's rights and racial equality.

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

An organization founded in 1909 to fight for civil rights and against racial discrimination.

National Urban League (NUL)

An organization that advocates for economic opportunities for African Americans and other underserved communities.

New Negro

A term that signifies a more assertive and self-confident African American identity post-Great Migration.

Niagara Movement

A civil rights organization founded in 1905 that opposed Booker T. Washington's accommodationist approach.

Pan-Africanism

A movement aiming to strengthen bonds between peoples of African descent in the diaspora.

Plessy v. Ferguson

An 1896 Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the 'separate but equal' doctrine.

Red Summer

The summer of 1919 marked by a series of race riots and racial violence across the United States.

Scientific Racism

Misuse of scientific research and data to justify racial inequality and discrimination.

Social Darwinism

The belief that human societies evolve through competition and that superior races or classes will naturally advance.

Souls of Black Folk

A seminal work by W.E.B. Du Bois exploring the African American experience and advocating for civil rights.

The Chicago Defender

A prominent African American newspaper that circulated during the Great Migration, advocating for civil rights.

The Tulsa Race Massacre

A 1921 racially motivated attack on the prosperous Black community of Greenwood in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA)

A Black nationalist organization founded by Marcus Garvey to promote unity and self-reliance among African Americans.

Up from Slavery

An autobiography by Booker T. Washington detailing his experiences and philosophy on education and race relations.

Uplift/racial uplift

The concept of improving the social status of African Americans through education, activism, and community development.

W.E.B. Du Bois

An influential African American sociologist, historian, and civil rights activist who co-founded the NAACP.

White Man’s Burden

A phrase used to justify imperialism, suggesting that it was the duty of Western nations to civilize non-Western peoples.

World War I (WWI)

The global conflict from 1914 to 1918 that significantly influenced social change, including the Great Migration.

Zora Neale Hurston

An influential author and anthropologist of the Harlem Renaissance known for her folklore study and novels exploring black life.