Race Relations in America: A Historical Overview

These flashcards cover key terms and events related to race relations in the United States, focusing on the impact of the World War I era and its aftermath.

Red Summer

The term used to describe the violent racial unrest in America during the summer of 1919, marked by numerous riots and violence against African Americans.

Jim Crow laws

State and local laws that enforced racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans in the United States.

Great Migration

The mass movement of African Americans from the rural South to urban areas in the North and West, particularly between 1916 and 1970.

NAACP

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; an organization formed to fight for the civil rights of African Americans.

Spanish flu

A global influenza pandemic that occurred in 1918-1919, which had devastating effects worldwide, including in the United States.

W. E. B. Du Bois

An African American sociologist, civil rights activist, and leader who co-founded the NAACP and advocated for African American rights.

Claude McKay

A Jamaican-American writer and poet who was a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance, known for his work 'If We Must Die'.

Postwar economic downturn

An economic recession that followed World War I, affecting job availability and increasing racial tensions in America.

racial violence

Violence motivated by racial prejudices, often targeting minority communities, particularly African Americans in the context of U.S. history.

Chicago race riot of 1919

One of the most significant race riots in U.S. history, resulting from racial tensions and leading to deaths and destruction in Chicago.