The reasons for Black Americans seeking to escape racial violence and discrimination can be classified as push factors. Push factors are conditions that drive people away from their current location or situation.
In this context, the pervasive racism, systemic oppression, lynching, and oppressive Jim Crow laws in Southern states created an environment that was dangerous and intolerable for Black Americans. The need to escape from violence and seek safety compelled many individuals and families to leave their homes and migrate to places where they hoped to find greater freedom, safety, and opportunity.
While the opportunities available in other regions, particularly in the North and West, may serve as pull factors, the immediate drive to escape the harsh realities of life under the restrictions and violence of the Jim Crow South characterizes the situation as predominantly influenced by push factors.