How the Great Migration Changed America

Between 1910 and 1970, 6 million Black Americans migrated northward from a deeply segregated post-war South. Examine the history and impact of the Great Migration, from the rise of gospel music to the birth of state lotteries, and beyond.

Overview

Course No. 30230

During the Great Migration, Black Americans led a mass exodus out of the South. But not all that glittered in the imagination was gold in the real world across the Mason-Dixon line. Migrant communities stretching from Harlem in the North to Los Angeles in the West faced hostile neighborhood associations, redlining, and outright violence. They contended with dim economic prospects and sparred with white labor unions. They also struggled to assimilate into established Black communities. Nevertheless, these 6 million Black migrants left an indelible mark on life in the United States. The culture and politics that emerged out of destination cities—a mix of Southern sensibilities and Northern experiences, a fusion of horror and resilience—changed the course of US history.

“How the Great Migration Changed America” explores the causes and consequences of the Great Northward Migration in 12 eye-opening lectures led by your expert guide Davarian Baldwin, the Paul E. Raether Distinguished Professor of American Studies at Trinity College. A prolific scholar and the child of Black migrants himself, Professor Baldwin understands the importance of this mass movement from an academic and personal perspective. His viewpoint is rich with responsibility, understanding, and attention to detail.

With Professor Baldwin at the forefront, you will:

• Evaluate—and debunk—stubborn Great Migration myths

• Survey the economic, political, and social landscape in the South at the turn of the century

• Examine the lure of northern living, from economic and industrial opportunity to self-preservation

• Become familiar with complicated personalities who built Black neighborhoods, business empires, and sporting leagues from the bottom up

• Tour Chicago’s South Side and New York City’s Harlem neighborhoods, surveying the storied institutions that gave each city its flavor

• Study the cultural effects of migration, from the rise of gospel music to the dawn of the zoot suit

• Explore the ideas—some mainstream, others radical—that emerged out of the Black migrant experience

“How the Great Migration Changed America” will help you build a deeper and more nuanced understanding of not only the past, but also its complicated legacies in the present, as well.

Video Lessons

01: The Great Migration Is My Story and Yours

Between 1910 and 1970, 6 million Black men, women, and children left the South, during the Great Migration. Survey how Black resettlement changed American history and culture. Learn about the kinds of opportunities—economic but also existential—that pulled so many migrants northward. Duration: 28 min

02: Exodus: Why Migrants Quit the South

After Reconstruction collapsed, oppressive Black codes, extrajudicial killing, sexual violence, and segregation ruled in the South. See how Black Americans endured these evils. Duration: 28 min

03: Racial Violence in Migrant Cities

Investigate the scale and scope of the racial violence that plagued cities across the United States in 1919. Evaluate the long-term impact of America’s “Red Summer.” Duration: 29 min

04: How Chicago Became the Black Metropolis

Zero in on Chicago and its Bronzeville neighborhood. Learn about Black civic life, art, journalism, recreation, leisure, and activism. Duration: 30 min

05: Harlem, the Mecca of the Great Migration

Turn your attention to New York City’s Harlem neighborhood. Survey Harlem’s transformation over the first half of the 20th century. Duration: 28 min

06: The New Negro and the Harlem Renaissance

Explore the Harlem Renaissance and the “New Negro” movement. Learn about the artists, writers, scholars, and activists involved. Duration: 28 min

07: Blueswomen and Black Filmmakers Take the Stage

See how the Great Migration transformed popular culture. Explore the new Black cultural aesthetic that emerged during this period. Duration: 28 min

08: Jazz as the Music of the Migration

Trace jazz in the 1920s, exploring its evolution and influence on the migration experience. Duration: 28 min

09: How Migrants Made Gospel Music

Discover the origins and evolution of gospel music within the Great Migration context. Duration: 27 min

10: Negro League Baseball and Black Lotteries

Learn about the founding of the Negro Baseball League and the role of lottery systems in financing it. Duration: 27 min

11: The Depression Reshapes the Great Migration

Survey the impact of the Great Depression on Black Americans and the alternatives to capitalist democracy. Duration: 29 min

12: The Great Migration during World War II

Explore the landscape of the wartime home front and the early Civil Rights movement. Duration: 33 min