Great Migration

Reflections of the Past in Anticipation of the Future

The Great Migration transformed America's cultural landscape, impacting cities and towns across the nation, including Detroit and Washtenaw County.

Participants will learn about the exodus of more than 6 million African Americans from the deep South to the North, Midwest, and West Coast between 1910-1970.

Attendees will view highlights of the A.P. Marshall African American Oral History Project and the Intergenerational Dialogue on the Great Migration. They will gain insight into the importance of preserving local African  American history in our community. The living oral history archive, recorded by historian A.P. Marshall in the 1980s, contains interviews that span several generations and help tell the rich, varied story of African  Americans in Ypsilanti. In addition, highlights will be shown from the Intergenerational Dialogue on the Great Migration. 

The Intergenerational Dialogue on the Great Migration captured the oral histories of local older adults whose families migrated from the South. These individuals shared their stories with local youth in the community in a series of recorded interviews. As a continuation, we will conduct an in-person dialogue with reversed roles. This time, the older adults will interview the youth members to see what they learned from the exercise.

Upcoming events