Editing Great Migration to Philadelphia (section)

== Community Institutions ==

Churches were the most important institutions in migrant communities. Baptist and Methodist denominations that migrants had known in the South established new congregations or expanded existing ones to serve the growing population. [[Mother Bethel and the AME Church|Mother Bethel]], the founding church of African Methodism, saw its congregation grow. New storefront churches appeared throughout migrant neighborhoods, often led by ministers who had themselves migrated from the South. Churches provided not only spiritual sustenance but also practical support: help finding housing and jobs, assistance in times of crisis, and social networks that helped migrants navigate their new urban environment.<ref name="hershberg"/>

The Philadelphia Tribune, founded in 1884 and the oldest continuously published Black newspaper in America, served the migrant community with news, commentary, and advocacy. Community organizations like the Philadelphia branch of the NAACP, established in 1913, fought discrimination and advocated for civil rights. The Urban League helped migrants adjust to urban life and find employment. Social clubs, fraternal organizations, and neighborhood associations created community bonds across the diverse population of migrants from different Southern states. These institutions gave African Americans a voice in city affairs and laid the groundwork for the civil rights struggles that would intensify in subsequent decades.<ref name="wolfinger"/>