LETTER FROM CICELY LEWIS Dear Reader Imagine being in an argument with a classmate and the teacher asks what happened Your classmate tells their version of the story but you don’t get to share your version Do you think this is fair Well this is what has happened throughout history This series looks at different events in US history with a focus on photos that help tell stories of people from underrepresented groups I started the Read Woke challenge in response to the needs of my students I wanted my students to read books that challenged social norms and shared perspectives from underrepresented and oppressed groups I created Read Woke Books because I want you to be knowledgeable and compassionate Cicely Lewis citizens As you look through these books think about the photos that have captured history Why are they important What do they teach you I hope you learn from these books and get inspired to make our world a better place for all Yours in solidarity Cicely Lewis Executive Editor
12 4 NEW BEGINNINGS TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 FREEDOM FROM SLAVERY CHAPTER 2 FREED BUT NOT Free CHAPTER 3 THE GUIDING NORTH STAR CHAPTER 4 BLACK CITIES AND BLACK HOPE TAKE ACTION TIMELINE PHOTO REFLECTION GLOSSARY SOURCE NOTES READ WOKE READING LIST INDEX 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Think critically about the photos throughout this book Who is taking the photos and why What is their viewpoint Who are the people in the photos What do these photos tell us.6 There are so many important people and events in the Great Migration and we are not able to include them all in this book After finishing this book learn how you can get involved There are tips on page 25 to help you get started.16 20
This family left the South for Chicago in 1920 NEW BEGINNINGS HUMAN Human migration is a journey of discovery It focuses migrate for better housing jobs education and even on discovering a pathway to the future Some people access to health care Others seek to build new communities and neighborhoods together Each chapter of a family’s migration journey is about seeking better opportunities for the next generation 4
The Great Migration 1916 1970 offered this hope for the Black community Economic freedom and the promise of liberty were an inspiration for this journey After slavery many Black people moved to cities for more opportunities Some moved east to Philadelphia others relocated west to California and some left the United States moving to places such as Haiti Mexico Liberia and Canada They were also leaving behind terrible situations They faced racial violence sharecropping and more Black people envisioned a pathway to racial equality With hard work and determination Black people were determined to build a prosperous future for generations to come About six million Black people moved during the Great Migration 5
