Black Nationalism In American Society

Early American black society chose to show their independence and authority in a predominately white society by embracing the philosophies of Black Nationalism and Black Separatism. Since the first Africans were forced to come to the United States as slaves, they struggled to develop their own identity and find respect in a culture which originally regarded them as beasts of burden. World War I essentially triggered the Great Migration where blacks moved from the south to the north to find new job opportunities and better lives. This created a new society of working African-Americans and sparked influential thoughts leading to the Harlem Renaissance. World War I created a unique opportunity for many black men to enter the military which largely affected black lives in America, radically changing …show more content…
The overall goal of Black Nationalism was for blacks to be respected in society considering their past of oppression throughout history and still current prejudice toward black people at the time of its creation. The original idea of Black Nationalism was that blacks should have their own nation with their own government and clear geographical boundaries but as time progressed, Black Nationalism became more of a belief in which blacks should be represented in American government and become more respected in society being treated with equal rights as everyone else. The core beliefs of the original Black Nationalism has become integrated into what is now known today as Black Separatism. Black Separatism believes that black people should not only have their own nation but not be associated with any other race than their own as well. Black Separatism is mostly considered as a radical belief in today’s society. Someone who identifies them self as a black is separatist is not considered a black