Final answer:
African Americans in the early 20th century faced discrimination, segregation, and economic struggles. They experienced discrimination in housing, employment, and education in both the North and the South. Despite these challenges, African Americans created their own communities and institutions, such as Harlem, which fostered growth and unity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The social conditions for African Americans at the beginning of the 20th century were characterized by discrimination, segregation, and economic struggles. Although some progress had been made in terms of education and employment opportunities, African Americans still faced significant barriers to equality and faced racism and prejudice in both the North and the South of the United States. In the North, African Americans faced discrimination in housing, employment, and education. Many white homeowners refused to sell to black buyers, creating housing shortages and overcrowded living conditions in segregated neighborhoods. African Americans also experienced job discrimination, with white employees conspiring to have black workers fired to create job opportunities for themselves. Despite these challenges, African Americans were able to create their own institutions and communities, such as Harlem in New York City, which fostered growth, culture, and unity. In the South, Jim Crow laws enforced racial segregation and disfranchisement, limiting the rights and opportunities of African Americans. Lynching and racial violence were common, and African Americans were denied access to education, voting, and equal treatment under the law. The Great Migration, starting around 1917, saw millions of African Americans leave the South in search of better economic opportunities in the North, although they still faced discrimination and prejudice in their new homes.