During the early 1900s, African Americans in the South faced several difficult struggles. To escape these difficulties, many decided to go to the North in search of a better life. The period in which millions of black Americans abandoned their old Southern lives and migrated to cities in the Northeast, Midwest, and West is known as the Great Migration. (Wilkerson). Once settled in these cities, African Americans were pleased to discover that they were able to express themselves through art, literature, and music. This creative movement was known as the Harlem Renaissance. The Great Migration influenced the Harlem Renaissance because it brought African Americans to Northern cities where they gathered and achieved astonishing creative results. Writers like Claude McKay expressed the feelings that all African Americans had about discrimination in America, encouraging them to remain strong and proud. The literary voice in poetry created during the Harlem Renaissance was greatly influenced by the Great Migration. The Great Migration was the movement of more than 6 million African Americans from the South to cities in the Northeast, Midwest, and West. Before it began, 90% of all African Americans lived in the South. Ultimately, nearly half of them lived in Northern and Western cities. (Wilkerson). During this time, the Southern economy was suffering greatly. Wages were low, jobs were few, and pests called weevils could destroy entire cotton crops. (Liccone 3). After the passage of the 13th Amendment, freed slaves were allowed to leave their plantations and start new lives. However, leaving the plantation could lead to angry whites hurting or killing them, so most were convinced to stay with their fo...... middle of paper ...... separation between blacks and whites, and he uses both positive principles and negative word choices. One example shows how McKay, along with all other African Americans in America, are “hard as nails with discontent” and how they take pride in expressing their frustration to the world. This communicates his hopeful attitude because he encourages other black citizens to do the same. It demonstrates his tone when he tells African Americans to stay strong and ignore the discrimination happening around them. The Great Migration influenced the “White Homes” because it shows the sorrow and disappointment blacks felt after discovering that the North was not the paradise they were looking for. It also shows how blacks were not as protected as whites were by the law. Claude McKay's poem "White Houses" expresses the anger and frustration that blacks felt towards the North..