City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 2013 The 'Silent Arrival': The Second Wave of the Great Migration and Its Affects on Black New York, 1940-1950 Carla J. Dubose-Simons The Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/2231 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] THE ‘SILENT ARRIVAL’: THE SECOND WAVE OF THE GREAT MIGRATION AND ITS AFFECTS ON BLACK NEW YORK, 1940-1950 by CARLA J. DUBOSE-SIMONS A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in History in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, The City University of New York. 2013 ii ©2013 Carla J. DuBose-Simons All Rights Reserved iii This manuscript has been read and accepted by the Graduate Faculty in History in satisfaction of the Dissertation requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. ______________________ ___________________________________________ Date Judith Stein, Chair of Examining Committee ______________________ ___________________________________________ Date Helena Rosenblatt, Executive Officer Joshua Freeman _____________________________________________ Thomas Kessner ______________________________________________ Clarence Taylor ______________________________________________ George White ______________________________________________ The City University of New York iv ABSTRACT THE ‘SILENT ARRIVAL’: THE SECOND WAVE OF THE GREAT MIGRATION AND ITS AFFECTS ON BLACK NEW YORK, 1940-1950 By Carla J. DuBose-Simons Advisor: Judith Stein This dissertation explores black New York in the 1940s with an emphasis on the demographic, economic, and social effects the World War II migration of blacks to the city. Using census data this study examines the basic characteristics of the migrants moving to New York during the war years; characteristics such as state of origin, age, and sex. It also maps where these migrants settled in the city revealing new areas of black settlement outside of Harlem, the largest black neighborhood in the city. Black New Yorkers, looking to escape the high rents, dilapidated living conditions, and increasing crime rates left Harlem. Attracted to the integrated working-class neighborhood by the abundance of newer housing, better schools, and fresher air, hundreds of Harlem’s families settled in the Morrisania section of the Bronx. Thousands of new migrants chose to move to Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn which was in close proximity to many of the city’s war industries and where a small black community already existed. Many of Bedford-Stuyvesant’s white residents opposed black settlement; some organizing campaigns to prevent blacks from moving in and others fleeing the neighborhood. By the end of the 1940s white flight and black settlement had transformed Bedford-Stuyvesant into New York City’s second largest black neighborhood. v One of the primary reasons southern blacks migrated to New York during World War II was employment opportunities available in war industries. When New York factories began converting to war production, many did not hire black workers and those that did placed them in unskilled and janitorial positions. This dissertation explains the process by which blacks found skilled and semi-skilled jobs in industries making ships, electrical instruments, and scientific instruments. Civil Rights organizations, most importantly the Brooklyn Urban League, pressured the state and federal governments into taking steps to integrate war industries. These organizations used the State War Council’s Committee on Discrimination and the Fair Employment Practices Committee to open new occupations to African Americans and ensure the fair treatment of those blacks employed in war industries. Initiatives for equal employment opportunities for blacks were at the center of civil rights activism during the 1940s. vi For my nana Mary Wilson whose life story inspired my passion for the subject of this dissertation and my father Daniel DuBose Jr. whose presence and pride I have continued to feel during the completion of this achievement. vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The completion of this dissertation would not have been possible without the aid and support of numerous people. First and foremost I want to give my sincerest thanks to my advisor Judith Stein. Your guidance and support were invaluable throughout the course of my graduate studies. Your tough questions and tough comments continually required me to expand my intellectual capacity and improved the quality of this dissertation. I would also like to thank my other dissertation committee members Joshua Freeman, Clarence Taylor, Thomas Kessner, and George White. Your comments on drafts helped make this dissertation a better one. I would also like to thank Barbara Brooks for the insightful comments you gave me on early drafts of chapters in the dissertation seminar I took with you at the Graduate Center. I would not have been able to complete this dissertation without the materials of several libraries and collections. I would like to thank the staffs of the Northeast division of the National Archives and Records Administration, the Library of Congress, the Schomburg Center for African American Cultural Study of the New York Public Library, and the Brooklyn Public Library. Special thanks are in order to the librarians of the Brooklyn collection of the Brooklyn Public Library, Wendy Phlug at the University of Pittsburgh archives, Daniella Romano at the Brooklyn Navy Yard Archives, Marjorie McNinch at the Hagley Museum and Library, and Laura Tosi at the Bronx Historical Society. Each of you helped me to navigate the archival collections at your respective institutions and for that I am grateful. I would be remiss not to acknowledge the various organizations that provided me with financial assistance. I would like to thank the Colonial Dames of New York, the Office of Educational Opportunity and Diversity Programs at the CUNY Graduate Center, the estate of Alexander C. Naclerio, the Ford Foundation, CUNY’s Writing Across the Curriculum Program, the Lehman College Writing Across the Curriculum Program, and Lehman College’s Institute viii for Literacy Studies for the fellowships and grants they provided. I would also like to thank the Lehman WAC program coordinators Elaine Avidon, Tyler Schmidt, Marcie Wolfe, and Jessica Yood for extending my fellowship and keeping me on as a Faculty Development Associate for the program. I must thank my professional colleagues and friends for their support and camaraderie throughout this process. I thank David Golland for reading significant parts of this dissertation with a critical and supportive eye; Cindy Lobel and Kathleen Lopez for acting as mentors to me by providing professional guidance and support; and Toure Reed for invaluable suggestions on a portion of the chapters. I have to give a special shout out to my closest friends and colleagues Kevin McGruder, Kristopher Burrell, Carrie Pitzulo, Anthony deJesus, and honorary historian Melvin Coston. The advice, support, and encouragement you gave me every step of the way made the difference in whether or not I finished this dissertation. Last but definitely not least I must thank my family for the encouragement and support they gave me throughout my graduate studies. I give my eternal thanks to my siblings Tansa Langley and Eddie DuBose, my brother-in-law Pierre Langley, my aunt Carolyn Mitchell, my uncle Vernon Mitchell, and my nephew James Langley for always supporting my endeavors and putting up with me when I was stressed out and under pressure. I would never have finished this dissertation without the help of my mother Madeline DuBose especially in the final stages of writing. Mom, your continuous encouragement and unwavering belief in me made this achievement possible. I also want to express my gratitude to my husband Benjamin Simons who pushed me and supported me every step of the way to the finish line. Even if I did not say it often, I appreciated it. Lastly I want to thank my son Alexander whose early arrival may have delayed progress on this dissertation but whose existence ultimately pushed me to complete it. ix TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Abbreviations x List of Tables, Charts, and Figures xi Introduction 1 Chapter 1: A Shifting Population: Black Population Growth and the 26 Creation of Alternative African American Communities Black Mobility Throughout the Nation Harlem: New York’s Continuing Black Mecca Bedford-Stuyvesant: The second area of black settlement The Bronx: Moving Away from the Hustle and Bustle Conclusion Chapter 2: Opening Opportunities: Collaboration between Black 45 Organizations and Fair Employment Agencies No Conversion, No Jobs, No Place for Negroes: New York City War Production 1941-42 Finding a “Place for Negroes”: Pressure for Fair Employment Legislation America at War: More Contracts, More Job Opportunities in New York City Chapter 3: The Road to Full Integration: The 1943 Labor Shortage, 85 Government Agencies, and Civil Rights Activism 1943: A Turning Point Continued Activism for Equal Employment Opportunities Unrest for Opportunity: The Harlem Riot of 1943 Anxiety and Action: Government Agencies’ Increased Efforts for Black Employment The Next Step: The Question of