Telling America's Untold Story

Summary

The speaker discusses their 15-year dedication to telling the stories of people who migrated from the South to the North during the Great Migration. While much has been written about the economics, politics, and sociology of this event, the focus here is on personal stories and motivations. The book is based on over 1,200 interviews, including the speaker's own family. It highlights the immigrant-like aspirations of African Americans seeking better lives, emphasizing that their journey reflects a quintessentially American pursuit of improvement and opportunity.

Takeaways

• 📚 The author has dedicated the past 15 years to telling the stories of people who migrated from the South to the North.
• 🔍 While much has been written about the economics, politics, and sociology of migration, the author emphasizes the personal stories and perspectives of the migrants.
• 🗣️ The author sees these personal stories as an underreported aspect of 20th-century history.
• 👥 Over 1,200 people were interviewed for the book to capture these unique stories and experiences.
• ⏳ The urgency to complete the interviews was due to the aging generation of migrants, making it critical to record their experiences before they were lost.
• 📖 The book presents a narrative arc that covers the migrants' lives, from childhood to their journeys northward.
• 👵 The author's mother was also interviewed, which was challenging as she rarely spoke about her experiences.
• 💬 Reading the book to the author’s mother helped her recall and share more about her past.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The author personally connects with the migration story as the child of migrants who moved from the South to the North during and after World War II.
• 🇺🇸 The author’s larger goal is to show that the migrants’ motivations were similar to any immigrant’s desire for a better life, reflecting a core American value.

Q & A

What was the primary focus of the speaker's work over the past 15 years?

The speaker spent 15 years telling the stories of people who migrated from the South to the North, focusing on their personal experiences rather than the economic, political, or sociological aspects.

Why did the speaker feel that this migration was an underreported story?

The speaker felt this migration was underreported because while much had been written about the economics, politics, and sociology of it, little attention had been paid to the personal stories and motivations of the people involved.

How many people did the speaker interview for their research?

The speaker interviewed over 1,200 people as part of the research for the book.

Why was there a sense of urgency in conducting these interviews?

There was a sense of urgency because the generation of people who migrated was aging, and the speaker wanted to capture their stories before it was too late.

How did the speaker structure the book?

The book follows a long narrative arc, taking the reader through the childhood, lives, and journeys of the people who migrated.

How did the speaker's mother influence the creation of the book?

The speaker read every word of the book and its reviews to their mother, who was one of the more difficult interviewees because she had rarely talked about her migration experience while the speaker was growing up.

What personal connection does the speaker have to the migration?

The speaker's parents were both part of the migration, with the mother migrating from Georgia to Washington, D.C. during World War II and the father migrating from Petersburg, Virginia. Without the migration, the speaker's parents would never have met, and the speaker might not have existed.

What was the speaker's larger goal in writing the book?

The speaker wanted to show that the motivations behind the Great Migration were similar to any other immigrant impulse—people seeking a better life for themselves and their children.

What does the speaker say the migrants had in common with other groups in America?

The speaker believes that the migrants had an 'immigrant heart' and shared the desire for something better, a common trait with many other groups in America, making their experience essentially American.

How did writing the book help the speaker appreciate their parents' sacrifices?

Writing the book helped the speaker gain a deeper appreciation for the sacrifices their parents made by leaving everything they knew in search of a better future.