Topic > The history and life of African Americans in Chicago

America, in particular; Chicago is among the most diverse states home to numerous ethnic groups. Chicago's enclaves include Native Americans, Chicanos, Assyrians, Germans, Latinos and African Americans. According to the 2010 census, African Americans, also known as Black Americans, made up 32.9% of the Chicago community, being the second largest ethnic group after Native Americans – 45% (Hunt & Whitman 2015). The city of Chicago was founded by Du Sable, whose place of origin was never discovered, although most scholars associate it with African origins. Du Sable's trading activities during the 1780s attracted settlement to Chicago, with the first black bee community established in the 1840s (Eyerman, 2001). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayAs the name says, African Americans are the people who live in America but have their roots in Africa. Aside from current immigration for education or employment, the emergence and establishment of the African American community in Chicago dates back to the era of the slave trade. Industrialization had its first phase in Europe. With the emergence of tobacco and cotton gins, many plantations were established to provide raw materials for the new industries. European nations turned to Africa, where they could obtain cheap labor from slaves. In the 1700s, Africans were induced to offer labor on tobacco and cotton plantations. Mechanization in the production sector reduced the demand for human labor. The demand for human rights ended slavery in the 1800s, and enslaved Africans chose to settle in America and survive in blue-collar jobs. However, the new wave of discrimination and racism has made the situation worse. African Americans were discriminated against in jobs and social services across America. However, the degree of discrimination appears to be severe in the South but less in the North. Chicago, in particular, had passed anti-discrimination legislation that outlawed segregation. For example, school segregation was first outlawed in 1874. This spurred the Great Migration (Duncan & Duncan, 1957). After World War I, most industries arose in North America, with the emergence of the steel, packaging, and railroad industries. African Americans living in the underbelly faced school segregation, where they lacked a quality education to secure white-collar jobs. They ended up emigrating to the south to look for work in the industries. Between 1910 and 1940 (Great Migration), the African American population in Chicago grew from 40,000 to 278,000 (Burgess & Newcomb, 1931). Cotton plantations had also been overrun by the weevil, leaving most blacks without work. They chose to emigrate to the North for freedom, work and education for their children. By the 1940s, most of Africa-America was urbanized. Those who had first settled in Chicago attracted their friends. In the second wave of the Great Migration, Chicago saw the weekly arrival of more than 3,000 African Americans. The railroad and the Chicago Defender created awareness of new opportunities for blacks in Chicago, where meatpacking industries provided jobs for blacks (Pinderhughes, 1987). Chicago's Black Belt was established in 1900. Lack of housing confined the African Americas to the south of Chicago. African Americans were prohibited from renting homes in certain regions of the city of Chicago. These restrictive covenants led to the formation of the Black Belt. African Americans,.