In 1898 the Louisiana state legislature disenfranchised blacks by raising barriers to voter registration, excluding them from politics for decades, until after passage of federal civil rights legislation. In the first half of the 20th century, many African Americans left Tangipahoa Parish to escape the violence and oppression of Jim Crow, moving to industrial cities in the Great Migration. During World War II, they moved to the West Coast, where the buildup of the defense industry opened up new jobs. In the 21st century, they constitute a minority in the parish.