Blacks in Milwaukee in the early years

Question 1

    The black labor force was introduced during the First World War as most of these industries had been affected by the war and thus attributing to the cut of the supply of the cheap European immigrants’ employees. Thus they encouraged most of the blacks to come to these areas and thus acted as laborers for them. As time moved on more and more laborers who were black become in demand and thus most of the service occupations were occupied by the Milwaukee Negro (Buchanan 1974). However, with the coming up of the twentieth century, much changes were experienced and this resulted in the change in the job market. A formation of social classes of the black was formed and the most dominant social class was that of the working class. Therefore the author of this article gives the history of how the black labor came up how it has evolved over time and the effects that came with this black labor.

Question 2

    City blacks were the first blacks in Milwaukee, these were factory workers and engaged in small professions and worked mostly in the service sector businesses. Their determination on the maximization of profit through catering for what they thought their consumers needed made them stronger and promoted their reputation. They were more ambitious in all that they did despite the discrimination and the racism cases. They thus catered for all that the Milwaukee employers wanted and this created market for the black labor (Weems 1915-1925).

 

 

Question 3

    The blacks came to Milwaukee to become laborers as there was a high demand for their labor. However, they were treated unjustly as well as unequally as they were not highly valued as the inhabitants of the Milwaukee. Therefore, they were only given cooking and service kind of jobs and those industrial jobs that were regarded as unskilled jobs (Buchanan 1974).

Question 4

    Antony, as well as Josey, was black leaders of the black community and they helped the blacks in establishing and succeeding in their enterprises. These leaders through the use of newspapers for the blacks adorned the virtues associated with the blacks being business oriented and also advocated for racial unity amongst them (Weems 1915-1925). The rapid growth in the black population in Milwaukee led to the development of the urban union and also the expansion of the business enterprises. They, therefore, advocated for profitable consumer based market.

Question 5

    Columbia building and loan association was the most important business enterprise that was launched during these years as a financial institution. This offered capital to the blacks so as to be able to involve themselves in business enterprises (Weems 1915-1925).

Question 6

    The formation of the urban league integration with the central council and with the efforts of both DeReef and Woods supported the blacks through promoting and backing them up and engaging them in all forms of work so as to improve and develop the industrial, economic as well as social situations among the blacks in Milwaukee.  Thus support systems such as the social settlement agencies that helped the blacks to get adequate housing and affordable housing. Other agencies such as the employment bureau acted as a medium between the Milwaukee industries and the black job seekers (Weems 1915-1925).

Question 7

    The blacks faced the challenge of having inadequate housing and most of them were mostly confined in single residential places. They also faced racial discrimination and thus they were mostly confined to single localities. Due to increase in black population, they faced overcrowding issues. They also faced a problem as the rent charges were increased and they also faced hostilities. They were paid little wages and most of them were not employed in good working places as their labor was not highly valued by the Milwaukee citizens (Weems 1915-1925). Therefore they mostly worked in the domestic, personal and services sectors as the best jobs were left out for others who were not blacks. This is a sign of discrimination though it changed over the years but it has not yet ended.

Question 8

    Industrial skills are the form of education that was offered to the living quarters of the black labors. These classes were used to transform knowledge and pass on skills onto the black labors so as to make them more efficient in their work. Black people such as the Halyards, submitted himself to pursue a special technical training that included a thorough supervision of nineteen months as they were aiming at giving him the knowledge and proficiency that he needed in running the operation or the banking venture in Milwaukee (Weems 1915-1925). With this education system, the blacks were able to gain essential information and knowledge that enabled them to stand strong and prosper in their businesses.

Question 9

    Racism is one of the common challenges that the past blacks and the current blacks are facing today. Racism is clearly witnessed in almost all sectors but it is mostly witnessed in employment sector as they are perceived to be unskilled and thus they receive discrimination at the job places. Currently, most of the blacks are skilled and some are professionals but they mostly are employed in common labor professionals with slightly lower wages. They thus occupy the domestic as well as the personal service positions (Weems 1915-1925).

 Question 10

    This article is essential and educative as well. It is a reflection of the various challenges that the blacks faced in working in Milwaukee and the way that the various people came to aid the blacks in surviving in this place. It shows how the perception of the blacks has changed over time as from before the first world war, during and after the First World War. Economic progression has been realized as a result of these blacks who have contributed so much in the industries that they worked in. inadequate housing and discrimination issues due to racism is a negative effect that greatly affected the blacks in Milwaukee. However, the more the flow of the black immigrants into the Milwaukee, the more the nation’s economy’s stimulation was. The changes were made in the wage amount paid to these black people in Milwaukee as the demand for black labor increased as well as the change in perceptions about the blacks. Thus industrialization was among the most beneficial department in the nation that benefited from the black labor and this brought about economic gains to the nation as the number of industries increased with increase in the availability of the black labor. However, with the current changes in attitudes and perceptions against the black labor in Milwaukee, more recruitment of black employees in the industries started occurring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Buchanan T. (1974). Blacks in Milwaukee’s Labor Force. Milwaukee History, 16

Weems Jr, R. E. Black Working Class, 1915–1925. Milwaukee History, 6, 107-14.