The Great Migration Collection Overview
Between the end of World War I and the end of the 1960s, over six million African Americans left the South in search of safety, freedom, and new opportunities in the North and West of the United States. The history and individual stories from the Great Migration illuminate can be used to illuminate almost every question from our learning arc.
We strongly recommend complementing the resources we have provided above with this fantastic web resource on Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series from the Phillips Collection in Washington, DC.
These four short films from PBS Learning Media can be used as part of an inquiry on the causes of the Great Migration.
In addition, The Library of Congress has curated a collection of resources called Chicago: Destination for the Great Migration. Use them to explore the challenges and opportunities migrants faced as they adjusted to a new life outside of the South.
This lesson from Teach Rock explores the connections between blues, rock and roll, and the Great Migration.
Note: We are always in search of great resources. Let us know what else you’d like to see added to the collection. Email us at info@reimaginingmigration.org