CONTENTS A LETTER FROM DUCHESS 4 CHAPTER ONE A Riot Erupts 6 CHAPTER TWO Growing Unrest 14 CHAPTER THREE Two Waves 24 CHAPTER FOUR The Migration’s Legacy 34 Fast Facts 42 Stop and Think 44 Glossary 45 Online Resources 46 Learn More 46 About the Authors 47 Index 48
A LETTER FROM DUCHESS Duchess Harris Beginning in the early 1900s Black people began to leave the South in large numbers This mass movement is known as the Great Migration Black people wanted to escape violence and discrimination in the South Many moved to northern cities But they still encountered discrimination Many could not find good housing They were forced to work difficult low-paying jobs Despite these hardships Black migrants made a place for themselves They created music and art that became widely popular Black politicians and activists worked for equal rights Author Isabel Wilkerson argues that the Great Migration was the first big step that African Americans took without asking This is a powerful concept I had never thought of the Great Migration as an act of political resistance But the movement of Black people collectively voicing their opposition to the South was indeed a political act Join me in learning about the history and legacy of the Great Migration Follow me on a journey that explores the promise of freedom
A family arrives in Chicago in the early 1900s as part of the Great Migration
