Why Millions of Black Americans Left the South: The Great Migration

CrashCourse

In this episode of Crash Course Black American History, host Clint Smith explores the Great Migration, a pivotal demographic shift where approximately six million Black Americans moved from the rural South to the urban North and West between 1910 and 1970. The video examines the complex "push and pull" factors driving this movement, ranging from the economic traps of sharecropping and the devastation of the boll weevil to the lure of higher industrial wages in northern cities. The video provides a nuanced look at the realities of life in the South under Jim Crow, highlighting the systemic disenfranchisement and domestic terrorism—including lynching and riots—that forced many to flee as if they were refugees in their own country. It also frankly discusses the challenges migrants faced upon arrival in the North, such as segregated housing and new forms of discrimination, while acknowledging the cultural explosions (like the Harlem Renaissance) that resulted from these new urban communities. For educators, this resource is invaluable for teaching about agency, economic mobility, and systemic racism. It challenges students to reframe the Great Migration not just as a population shift, but as a deliberate act of resistance and self-determination by Black Americans seeking safety and citizenship. The video connects historical events to sociological concepts, making it a strong anchor for units on the early 20th century, Civil Rights, or human geography.