• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / History / How did World War I affect African Americans back at home?

How did World War I affect African Americans back at home?

March 4, 2020 by Karen Hill

Improvements in transportation and communication had a huge impact on the daily lives of every American citizen, including blacks.

Commercial radio broadcasting in the United States began in November 1920, providing people access to the news almost as soon as it happened. By 1924 there were 580 radio stations with thousands of listeners who could get their information before the next day’s newspaper came.

The first talking movie, Al Jolson’s The Jazz Singer, was released in 1927. By 1930, almost four-fifths of the American population was going to movies weekly.

The first car was built by Henry Ford in 1908. By the 1920s, cars (beginning with the Model T) were being mass-produced; therefore they were less expensive, and more people were able to buy them.

While not many African Americans could afford cars at the time, many new businesses and jobs became available as a result of cars’ widespread use. Roads had to be built. Tires and other auto parts were needed, as well as gasoline stations. People could travel farther, so there were more restaurants, theaters, and hotels. People could drive to their jobs, so they did not have to live in cities.

The black urban population expanded when blacks came to the cities to fill job openings created by the war. This in turn increased business and professional opportunities for African Americans. Blacks began to react to white racism with expressions of racial pride and unity.

While educated African Americans did not agree on support for the war, they did agree that African Americans should use the war as an opportunity to make gains for black citizens.

Related Facts

  • Who Invented the First Car and Where Did Cars Come From?
  • Top 25 Inventions That Changed the World
  • History of Subways
  • The Best 20 Inventions Ever Invented
  • Which Explorers First Explored the Continents of the World?
  • How did World War II affect the economic status of African Americans?

Filed Under: History

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « How many African American soldiers were honored for their service in World War I?
Next Post: How was Marcus Garvey able to convince African Americans to join his civil rights movement? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2020 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy