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Quick answer: The best books on the Great Migration tell how about six million Black Americans left the South for the North and West between 1910 and 1970. Start with The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson, The Promised Land by Nicholas Lemann, Land of Hope by James R. Grossman, Twelve Million Black Voices by Richard Wright and The Great Migration by Jacob Lawrence.
Between about 1910 and 1970, roughly six million Black Americans left the rural South for cities like Chicago, Detroit, New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Oakland. They fled Jim Crow laws, lynching and sharecropping poverty and looked for jobs, schools and a chance at dignity. The Great Migration reshaped American cities, politics, music and literature, giving birth to the Harlem Renaissance, Chicago blues and much more. But migrants also faced discrimination, segregated housing and violence in their new homes. The books below include the great histories, sociology, classic novels and plays about migrants’ lives and beautiful books for children.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Type | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Warmth of Other Suns | Isabel Wilkerson | Narrative history | The essential first read |
| The Promised Land | Nicholas Lemann | History | The second wave |
| Land of Hope | James R. Grossman | History | The first wave |
| The Southern Diaspora | James N. Gregory | History | The big picture |
| Black Metropolis | St. Clair Drake and Horace R. Cayton | Sociology | Chicago’s South Side |
| The Defender | Ethan Michaeli | History | The newspaper that pushed migration |
| Twelve Million Black Voices | Richard Wright | Photo-text | Primary sources |
| Native Son | Richard Wright | Classic novel | Classic fiction lovers |
| The Street | Ann Petry | Classic novel | Literary fiction fans |
| Jazz | Toni Morrison | Novel | Literary readers |
| A Raisin in the Sun | Lorraine Hansberry | Play | Book clubs and classrooms |
| The Twelve Tribes of Hattie | Ayana Mathis | Novel | Book clubs |
| The Turner House | Angela Flournoy | Novel | Family sagas |
| The Great Migration: An American Story | Jacob Lawrence | Picture book | Ages 6 and up |
| The Great Migration: Journey to the North | Eloise Greenfield | Picture book | Ages 6–10 |
1. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
Wilkerson follows three people who left the South in different decades for Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. It’s beautifully written and won the National Book Critics Circle Award.
2. The Promised Land by Nicholas Lemann
Lemann focuses on the migration from the Mississippi Delta to Chicago after the mechanical cotton picker arrived in the 1940s. It’s vivid and influential.
3. Land of Hope by James R. Grossman
Grossman studies the first wave of migration to Chicago during World War I and the hopes migrants brought with them. It’s a classic study.
4. The Southern Diaspora by James N. Gregory
Gregory examines how both Black and white Southerners moved north and west and changed American life. It’s a wide-ranging study.
5. Black Metropolis by St. Clair Drake and Horace R. Cayton
This 1945 classic describes life in Black Chicago in great detail, from churches to businesses to nightlife. It’s a landmark of American sociology.
6. The Defender by Ethan Michaeli
Michaeli tells the story of the Chicago Defender, the Black newspaper that encouraged Southerners to come north. It’s fascinating.
7. Twelve Million Black Voices by Richard Wright
Wright’s 1941 text, paired with Farm Security Administration photographs, tells the story of Black migration in poetic, powerful prose.
8. Native Son by Richard Wright
Bigger Thomas, a young man in Chicago’s South Side, commits a crime that seals his fate. Wright’s 1940 novel is shocking and powerful. Content note: violence.
9. The Street by Ann Petry
A single mother struggles to build a better life in 1940s Harlem. Petry’s novel was the first by a Black woman to sell over a million copies.
10. Jazz by Toni Morrison
Set in Harlem in 1926, Morrison’s novel follows a couple who migrated from Virginia. It’s lyrical and inventive.
11. A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry
A Chicago family plans to move into a white neighborhood with an insurance payout. Hansberry’s 1959 play is a classic of American drama.
12. The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis
Hattie flees Georgia for Philadelphia in 1923, and the novel follows her children’s lives over decades. It’s moving and was an Oprah’s Book Club pick.
13. The Turner House by Angela Flournoy
A large Detroit family, descended from migrants, decides what to do with their childhood home. It was a National Book Award finalist.
14. The Great Migration: An American Story by Jacob Lawrence
The artist’s famous series of 60 paintings about the migration is presented with short captions. It’s a beautiful book for all ages.
15. The Great Migration: Journey to the North by Eloise Greenfield
Greenfield’s poems, with illustrations by Jan Spivey Gilchrist, tell the story of families who made the journey. It’s a gentle, lovely introduction.
Tips for Reading About the Great Migration
- Start with Wilkerson. The Warmth of Other Suns is the essential book.
- Read about specific cities. Chicago, Detroit and Harlem each have their own stories.
- Look at the art. Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series is unforgettable.
- Read the literature. Wright, Petry and Hansberry wrote from inside the migration.
- Connect to family history. Many families have migration stories to share.
- Read with kids. Jacob Lawrence’s book works for every age.
Related: best books on the Harlem Renaissance and best books on Jim Crow.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best book about the Great Migration?
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson is the essential book, following three migrants who left the South in different decades.
How many people moved in the Great Migration?
About six million Black Americans moved from the South to the North and West between about 1910 and 1970.
What is a good Great Migration book for kids?
The Great Migration: An American Story by Jacob Lawrence and The Great Migration: Journey to the North by Eloise Greenfield are both excellent.