Summary
Highlights
Clint Smith introduces the Great Migration, a period in the early to mid-20th century where many Black Americans moved from the South to the urban North and West. This movement was driven by the search for better jobs, economic mobility, and an escape from violence in the South.
The Great Migration occurred in two waves (1910-1940 and 1940-1970) and was one of the largest domestic migrations in US history. In 1910, 90% of Black Americans lived in the South, a number that dropped to 52% by 1970. Migrants primarily moved to cities like Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh, New York, and Los Angeles.
One major push factor was the exploitative system of sharecropping that Black Americans faced after slavery. This system, detailed in a thought bubble, often led to endless debt due to high interest rates, unpredictable harvests, and deceptive agreements, making it nearly impossible for sharecroppers to leave the land.
Beyond sharecropping, other factors like unpredictable weather and pests made farming unsustainable and unprofitable. The economic desperation in the South made the promise of higher wages and stable work in Northern auto, meatpacking, steel, and iron industries highly appealing. Black men could earn significantly more in the North than in the South.
Another significant reason for the migration was the oppressive Jim Crow laws and domestic terrorism by groups like the Ku Klux Klan. Despite Reconstruction amendments, white Americans resisted Black freedom and citizenship through institutional segregation, denial of voting rights (literacy tests, poll taxes), dilapidated communities, and widespread violence including beatings, harassment, and lynchings, which were often public spectacles.
Some scholars, like Isabel Wilkerson, argue that the Great Migration should be viewed as a refugee crisis. Black Americans traveled vast distances within their own country, similar to refugees fleeing famine, war, and genocide, seeking safety and a better life away from terror and oppression.
Information about opportunities in the North spread through newspapers and informal networks. However, upon arrival, migrants often found that life was still tough, with widespread poverty and segregation. Black communities responded by establishing benevolent societies through churches and other organizations to help new migrants adjust.
As Black people left, white Southerners grew nervous due to the South's economic reliance on Black labor. Some employers tried to increase wages, but many resorted to pressuring newspapers to spread negative stories about the North, blocking trains and buses, and intimidating and beating Black individuals attempting to leave.
Leaving home was incredibly difficult, yet essential for economic opportunity and safety. While not perfect, the North and West offered better opportunities and reduced, though not eliminated, violence. The Great Migration created vibrant Black urban centers, fostering culture, art, music, and literature. It represents Black Americans taking control of their lives and destinies, demonstrating immense courage and faith in a country that had rejected them.