Making Our Way Home: The Great Migration and the Black American Dream

by Blair Imani, Patrisse Cullors (Foreword)

A powerful illustrated history of the Great Migration and its sweeping impact on Black and American culture, from Reconstruction to the rise of hip hop.

Over the course of six decades, an unprecedented wave of Black Americans left the South and spread across the nation in search of a better life--a migration that sparked stunning demographic and cultural changes in twentieth-century America. Through gripping and accessible historical narrative paired with illustrations, author and activist Blair Imani examines the largely overlooked impact of The Great Migration and how it affected--and continues to affect--Black identity and America as a whole.

Making Our Way Home explores issues like voting rights, domestic terrorism, discrimination, and segregation alongside the flourishing of arts and culture, activism, and civil rights. Imani shows how these influences shaped America's workforce and wealth distribution by featuring the stories of notable people and events, relevant data, and family histories. The experiences of prominent figures such as James Baldwin, Fannie Lou Hamer, El Hajj Malik El Shabazz (Malcolm X), Ella Baker, and others are woven into the larger historical and cultural narratives of the Great Migration to create a truly singular record of this powerful journey.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Graphic Novels, Race, Social Justice, African American, Historical

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 14, 2020

Reviews

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book belongs in every school/classroom library. It compiles so many important figures and events in American history related to "The Great Migration and the Black American Dream." It gives you enough information so you know you have learned something, but it also makes you want to read to learn more. Luckily there is an amazing bibliography and a glossary. Those two resources alone make me want to have a copy of my own (or to put in my classroom library). The illustrations are so gorgeous and compliment the writing perfectly, which by the way is very honest (e.g. lynching is referred to as domestic terrorism). This is not a book for hard core academic reading, but it is built from hard core academic work and I think younger readers will appreciate it.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This covers from 1865 through 1979 and I found it very helpful for helping me understand more how things got to where they are. I wish it would've included a few more recent decades, tbh. Great illustrations!

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

I requested this from my library because it was classified as a graphic novel, but it is actually an illustrated history text with no sequential art whatsoever. But I like history texts about interesting subjects, so I went ahead and read it anyway.

I was most engaged with the book in the beginning as it discussed the First Great Migration from the 1910s through the 1930s, outlining the reasons millions of Black Americans moved from the rural American South to urban centers in the North and on the West Coast and the initial impacts this had on them and the regions where they moved.

But the book is more a survey than an in-depth study so it moves briskly on to subsequent decades giving brief overviews that don't really dig into the subject and even start to wander away from details about the direct causes and impacts of the Second Great Migration from the 1940s through the 1970s as the narrative becomes more a general review of the Civil Rights movement and the accomplishments of Black Americans, most of which I am already familiar with and thus found less engaging, important as they are.

Still, this would be a great introduction for younger readers or someone unfamiliar with the subject.

The illustrations are nice and help break up the text so it doesn't become too burdensome, but they are sort of static, being mostly head-and-shoulder portraits of the people mentioned. The art is a bit stiff and formal as every image is heavily photo-referenced. I do not see original photo image credits in the indicia, but I was able to find the actual photographs for many of the illustrations with pretty simple Google searches.

[Kate Mester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Told in an accessible and linear way and framed by Imani's own family history, this would be a good supplement to SS and APUSH classes. The drawings were really great and there's an almost overly exhaustive glossary of terms at the end. Also, one of the most succinct/easiest to understand explanations of redlining I've seen. Just that passage alone would be worthwhile in a class.

[Nadine in NY Jones]

I thought this was a non fiction graphic novel, but it is not.  It’s an illustrated Black American history book for children, covering just over 100 years, from 1863 at the end of the Civil War / start of Reconstruction to 1979 with the earliest days of hip hop.  The fantastic graphics-novel-style illustrations are by Rachelle Baker .  This would be wonderful used as a text for a middle grade history class.

[DiAnne Warfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holt-Delhi Nonfiction Book Discussion Group title November 2021

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was a good overview of Black history in America, but it seemed like the author was trying to do too much at once. There was a lot of breadth, but not a lot of depth. While I appreciated the author's attempt to be all inclusive, at times it seemed like she'd just taken a course on intersectionality and was carelessly mentioning any and all minority groups without any attempt at adding substance. A good overview, but probably more useful as a bibliography to get to more interesting subject matter.

[Megan Sanks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt like I was vaguely aware of the history in this book, but Imani did a wonderful job of fleshing it out and providing details I never learned about, such as how the Black Panther Party fought for disability rights. Also the illustrations were beautiful!

[Nathaniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to read more about the events Imani brought to light for me.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed learning about The Great Migration. This is an easy to read book jam-packed with information. There was so much content that was new to me, and people and events that I had not heard of before. I could easily see this being in a classroom. The illustrations within this, too, were just great.

Critically, I thought these events wrapped up kind of quickly, and without warning. I would have liked even a mention of the present-day, or early 2000s, Black American Dream; I think it would have tied these events together more cohesively. While the Great Migration lasted until the 70s, ending with the Civil Rights still seemed like an abrupt choice when covering such an expansive time period.

Lastly, selfishly, I would have liked more information regarding migration patterns to the Milwaukee area. While I recognize that this book mentions a lot of broad travel patterns, it would have been interesting to read and learn more specifically about the migration of Black Americans to my state. ...looks like I’ll have to find a different book to answer those questions! :)

[rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is extremely straight-forward, but comes from the heart with an emphasis on empowerment. I think as an instructional tool, the chapters are really well laid out which lends itself to using this text as a broad overview of each decade, especially alongside Civil Rights studies. Well done Blair Imani, can't wait to read your other work.

[Jennie Chantal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can see this working in high school classrooms as an intro to the topic as it offers many opportunities to dig deeper. The writing style is straightforward but somewhat dry. It’s definitely YA which I wasn’t expecting. Great illustrations!

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the way this book was written as a narrative of so many important events and the way they all weaved together. The glossary was also extremely informative.

[Hillary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely overview of the history of Black Americans and their struggles throughout the 1900s.

[Taylor Haines · Rating 5 out of 5]

Should be required reading in all American classrooms. Includes an extensive glossary which details major events and key players.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a holistic view of the time during the Great Migration in the United States but mostly focuses on the Black American experience. It is broken down into decades and touched upon many topics that can be further explored on your own time but still shows how those events built upon each other. I learned so much from this book and it was easy to understand. For example, The man commonly known as Malcolm X later changed his name and went by El Hajj Malik El Shabazz until he died. I think more people should read this book.

[Cam's Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, so for my seminar class I’m writing about The Great Migration, which was the mass movement of African Americans from the South to the North, Midwest & West from 1910 to 1970. 6 million in total made the brave choice to pick up their lives & venture to the Promised Land.

All I have to say is WOW. WOW. WOW. WOW. This book blew my mind. I could NOT put it down. I literally finished this book in about 3 days. Where to begin…

The 7 chapters are defined by decade in chronological order (from the Reconstruction Era to 70s). That part I really loved because she took her time to explain the significance of the decade. Not to mention it’s super creative.

The content? CHILE, I thought I knew Black history… Sis showed me that I did not know enough!!! For example there’s LGBTQ+ history up in here- & ya’ll know that our community is either very hesitant, hush hush, or even downright hateful when it comes to it. I just love it.

The illustrations were absolutely breathtaking. Truly captivating. Rachelle Baker did her damn thing.

Sis didn’t leave anything out. Unfortunately, that means the recounting painful historical events such as lynchings, housing discrimination, & police brutality. All I got to say is, the YTs are very lucky that a majority of Blacks don’t want revenge. Because we have every right to want it.

What I loved most about this book was that she put some respect on our names by capitalizing Black & keeping white lowercased.

She made me very proud to be Black. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been loved me, but Blair made me appreciate my history even more. Reading this book reminded me why I am striving to achieve a PhD.

Overall, I highly recommend this book. It’s very easy to read. I loved every page of it, from the foreword all the acknowledgement.

Blair i want to see you win!! The community wants to see you win!! We are claiming that you will!!

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

An informative compact, illustrated overview of the Great Migration and its impact upon American culture, demography, and history.

[Sobia A Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great in depth look into the different waves of migration the African American community made within the US, the reasons behind those migrations, and how each "sparked stunning demographic and cultural changes". The book starts with the Reconstruction Era and ends in in 1979. With easy to read and understand language, the book is a fast read. In each era, the author gives brief bios of important and influential people.

Important issues discussed are voting rights, domestic terrorism, discrimination, and segregation, along with the civil rights movement, other activism, and the various arts and culture that developed over the time.

The author identifies herself as a biracial descendant of slaves and slave owners. She gives a brief bio of key family members. She includes a detailed glossary with indepth explanations/descriptions of terms/events/people.

Important information I learned from reading this were:
*Louisiana had its first Black governor (P.B.S. Pinchback) for 4 weeks in 1872 because the former one was suspended from office. It wold be another 118 years before any other state would elect a Black governor.
*During the Great Depression, 2 Islamic religious organizations grew prominent - Moorish Science Temple of America and the Nation of Islam.
*While FDR did his best to not acknowledge African-Americans and their accomplishments (WWII and Olympic medalists), Eleanor befriended them and used them as advisors
*J. Edgar Hoover hired the FBI's first full-time Black agent to infiltrate Marcus Garvey's political organization in 1919.
*Recent US history knows of Kent State and what happened. No one know or remembers what happened at Jackson State and South Carolina State University even though both occured around the same time and had more casualties.

[CHS Black Knights Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent chronicle of the story of post-emancipation Black migration in the US. The only reason I don’t give it 5* is because the beginning of the book feels rushed, more a collection of facts, people, and information than telling the stories behind them but Imani hits her stride about a third of the way in—worth hanging in for. Baker’s print-illustrations are truly gorgeous.

[Judy Monchuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Between 1916 and 1970, six million African Americans left the South and moved across the United States seeking safety, better living conditions and opportunity for their families in what was known as the Great Migration. They confronted racial prejudice, fought for civil rights and were part of massive cultural change. Author Blair Imani, whose family fled Little Rock, Arkansas in the wake of a 1936 lynching when the KKK vowed to kill any Black person who dared return to work, packs a staggering number of issues into this highly readable historical narrative.
Written in the style of a school history assignment, this book crams six decades of Black American history into an easy to digest textbook format. It feels like it would be at home in a junior high or high school classroom: bursting with details, context and gorgeous illustrations of cultural leaders and important moments. This covers a very wide swatch of information, including Reconstruction, voting rights, segregation, domestic terrorism, Black Power, LGBTQ rights, musical influences from rock and roll to hip hop. While it’s not the final word on any issue, it can certainly whet the reader’s appetite for more information. It also includes 25 pages of glossary entries detailing people, lesser-known moments and indelible movements that shaped and explain this part of history that might be largely new or unknown. A great resource.

[Miriam Kahn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A twentieth century history of the African-American Great Migration, the author focuses on politics and crimes against Blacks in the Southern states. Imani connects this historic migration to her own family. Both Imani and Khan-Cullors (who reads the foreword) recount historic events within their grandmothers’ lifetime.

The book simply and superficially explains how and why Black Americans moved across the country and the panoply of lawsuits that are part and parcel of the Civil Rights Movement. Best suited for YA audience.

NOTE: the audio book concludes with a recitation of the glossary and biographical sketches.

If you want to know more about the actual migration or a book aimed at adults, read The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson.

for a description of the performance, see AudioFile Magazine http://www.audiofilemagazine.com

[The Tiny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is meticulously researched and fascinating! Author Blair Imani takes readers on a journey through the American history that we don’t typically learn in history books, and discusses the Great Migration decade by decade starting with Reconstruction.

Coupled with gorgeous and very realistic illustrations, this is the type of history book I yearned for as a child. I devoured this book in a single sitting, loving that the historical figures I learned about in college are available to children. I was riveted, the facts weaving together in a way that was not dry or boring but instead ignited the desire to continue reading past my bedtime. There is also an extensive (almost 30 pages!) glossary that explains everyone referenced in the text as well as landmark court cases and activist groups. Seriously, do yourself a favor and read this one as soon as possible!

This book was generously sent to us by our friends at Ten Speed Press, but all opinions are our own.

[Miguel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite quickly it became apparent that this was a YA book, which is fine but not really my thing. So I continued listening in the context of whether I would strongly recommend it to my YA nephew and I couldn’t quite get to a resounding ‘must-read’ status for him. It’s OK – it covers a lot of ground with a lot of brief biographies. It’s all fine if not overly educational. Again, I thought I was going to be reading a story about the diaspora to the North from Southern states in the early 20th century, but I guess I’ll have to put The Warmth of Other Suns higher up my to-read list. Another quibble: the audio book has the last half of the book as the glossary read aloud: most non-fiction books have a large glossary but I’ve never heard it narrated before. This was just odd.

[Derek Lynch · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an informative, beautifully illustrated history of Black America.

Pros: The illustrations were dazzling, and Imani does a great job of tracing the history of Black migration in the US through its various stages. In particular I loved how she emphasized the impact of Black migration on our country’s culture.

Cons: A nitpick-y thing; but a lot of times, the illustrations weren’t in line with the text. A picture would be of someone that was referred to two pages prior. It made reading a bit confusing.

Overall: 4/5 stars. I’d read this again in a heartbeat! Between this and Modern HERStory, I am a big fan of Blair Imani’s work.

[livresdelaura · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I LOVED about “Making Our Way Home: The Great Migration and The American Dream” by Blair Imani:⁣
⁣
1) This book is a beautiful illustrated history of an important part of history that is often summed up in a paragraph in high school textbooks.⁣
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2) The author weaves in her own family history and delivers the content in such an engaging way - it’s impossible to not devour this one in one sitting. ⁣
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3) Though this one has a YA feel to it, it would be a great resource in any high school classroom or a great place to start your own research into The Great Migration. ⁣

[Mo · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a little while to trust each point would circle back to the Great Migration, but the number of connections Blair Imani made clear in a v. short book was breathtaking. I think this would be an excellent selection for families with older children and teenagers to read or listen to together.

CN: racist violence, including slavery and lynchings

[Keith Brubaker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scholarly

Enjoyable and interesting, in the style of a well written school assignment. I enjoyed the introduction especially. There is so much tantalizing material mentioned. I would like the author to tell them, it, in story from.

[Jabria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this for my nephew, but it's definitely staying at my house. Black history laid out out in an informative and engaging way. Me and my nephew both learned some new things from reading this, and he walked away with his head held a little bit higher.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a super comprehensive account of the Great Migration, and there was so much that I never learned in public school. This is definitely a great resource given how whitewashed our country's history is, and something that everyone should read.