The Great Migration provided African Americans with economic opportunities that were largely absent in the South. In the North and Midwest, the burgeoning industrial economy, particularly during the World War I era when the demand for labour increased due to the shortage of immigrant workers, offered factory jobs with higher wages than were available in the agrarian South. African Americans found employment in steel mills, railroads, meatpacking plants, and automobile factories. These jobs, while often the lowest paid and most physically demanding, offered wages that were nonetheless significantly better than the meagre earnings from sharecropping or domestic work available in the South. The economic autonomy gained through these jobs allowed African Americans to establish communities, support black businesses, and foster economic growth within their neighbourh

The rise of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) during Reconstruction had a significant and terrorising impact on the political and social lives of African Americans. The KKK, formed by disaffected white Southerners, sought to undermine the Reconstruction effort and maintain white supremacy. The Klan's tactics included intimidation, violence, and even murder against African Americans and their allies. This fear campaign was alarmingly effective in suppressing black political participation, as African Americans were often terrorised into not voting or running for public office. Socially, the Klan's activities reinforced segregation and the notion of racial inferiority, and it systematically worked to segregate and disempower African Americans, ensuring that they remained marginalised and disenfranchised.

The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement that redefined African American identity and had a profound influence on the broader American society's perception of African American culture. It was a period where African American writers, artists, musicians, and thinkers could express their creativity and intellect, challenging the prevailing racial stereotypes and prejudices. The literature, music, and art produced during this time depicted the realities of African American life and contributed to a greater understanding and appreciation of the diversity and richness of African American culture. Jazz music became immensely popular among both black and white audiences, breaking down some of the social barriers that existed at the time. The Harlem Renaissance brought African American culture into the mainstream and laid the groundwork for the Civil Rights Movement by elevating the status and respect for African American contributions to American culture.

The Supreme Court's decision in Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896 had dire implications for African American civil rights. By ruling that racial segregation was constitutional under the "separate but equal" doctrine, it effectively legitimised the system of Jim Crow laws that enforced racial segregation and inequality throughout the South. The decision cemented African Americans' status as second-class citizens and set back civil rights progress for decades. It allowed for legal segregation in all areas of public life, from schools and hospitals to transportation and restrooms, which in practice were never equal and greatly undermined the quality and access of services and facilities available to African Americans. This institutionalisation of racial inequality contributed to the systemic disparities that continued well into the 20th century.

Sharecropping was a widespread practice in the post-Civil War South, where freed slaves and poor whites farmed land owned by someone else, receiving a share of the crop come harvest. This system was exploitative and perpetuated economic hardship for African Americans, as it often trapped them in an endless cycle of debt. Landowners supplied sharecroppers with land, seeds, and tools, often at high prices, and took a large portion of the crop in return. The sharecroppers, who could not make enough profit after the landowners' share was removed, found themselves in constant debt and were legally tied to the land until their debts were paid. The system maintained an economic status quo akin to slavery, as African Americans remained economically dependent on white landown