Final answer:
After the Civil War, African Americans escaped Southern racism by migrating to northern cities during the Great Migration, seeking economic opportunities and less discrimination.
Step-by-step explanation:
African Americans sought to escape Southern racism after the Civil War by seeking refuge in the North. This mass movement, known as the Great Migration, saw African Americans move to urban centers such as Chicago, Detroit, and New York, searching for economic opportunities and a reprieve from the oppressive Jim Crow laws in the South. Though they encountered challenges, including hostility and de facto discrimination in the North, this migration represented a collective effort by African Americans to find greater freedom and better living conditions.