Isabel Wilkerson - The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Isabel Wilkerson discusses her book "The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migratio,"" presented by Harvard Book Store. Wilkerson chronicles the decades-long migration of black citizens who fled the South for northern and western cities, in search of a better life. From 1915 to 1970, this exodus of almost six million people changed the face of the U.S. More lectures at forum-network.org
This talk took place on September 14, 2010.

[@CaliforniaAfrican]

In the middle of the night, my grandmother took all of her children out of McComb, Mississippi. She had to leave and tell no one because the White man she worked for as a domestic threathed her if she left his family. He was a very powerful lawyer and my grandmother knew his threats were real. I am thankful that she made it all the way to California. Thank you, Ms. Wilkerson, for this book.

[@WhatYaReading]

Wow, my grandfather's sister left Louisiana and moved to Portland under similar circumstances.

[@anpdm1]

@David QuinteroThat just means you don't know the politics of black gun ownership.

[@anpdm1]

Entire black families were being held against their will on white plantations, well into the 60's. It's more common than the US wants to admit. They just shifted to mass incarceration.

[@SuperTonyony]

@David Quintero Your victim-blaming is gross.

[@rashidahshakir2632]

So many of us have stories like this. Our ancestors taken captive from Africa, and then many descendants later we still had to escape though considered free!

[@Mr._Moderate]

The story about your grandfather wanting to become a writer and you becoming a writer for the NY times is very powerful 👏

[@sharonsanders2369]

Loving this book. I am reading it now. Thanks for doing this work! My grandfather migrated my family from Arkansas to California.

[@bigdaddy3621]

My grandmother left Arkansas for California.

[@SE-ZESS]

Incredible book, phenomenal author.

[@brutusalwaysminded]

Great talk! Thank You.

[@tomv4408]

Her book answered a lot of questions for me.

[@mallowhawk294]

She read a book a day, props to her!! Amazing! Her grandfather would be blown away by her.

[@philmole1209]

The 8 people who voted down this intelligent, amazing woman have serious problems.

[@sharoncooper6379]

Voted down for what?

[@keithhooks8943]

I’m so looking forward to get my hands on this book.

[@trisha1989]

Have you read the book? Just finished it and it was awesome!

[@sheltonlovesr.8941]

@@trisha1989 I just discovered her because of her lasted book Case. I thought I was letting my son know about her. He tells be about this book. I’m so looking forward to reading it. I was part of the migration in the 60’s, from Mississippi to chicago. I was 2.

[@seensay2132]

My great grandparents left Mississippi and Tennessee for better lives and opportunities in Indiana (go figure)! But they all maintained relations with family down South. I love the breakdown toward the end where Ms Wilkerson says the risk takers profile of those who left and the more stable/patient profile of those who stayed BOTH contributing to the whole of Black families. No one is better than the other. Lol kinda goes for the North/South analogy too

[@DIAMONDGIRL57]

Fascinating! Just purchased the book. Can’t wait to get my eyes on the first page! Thank you for this motivating to learn presentation 🙏

[@barbaramajoy5278]

I can’t wait until this book arrives. Thank you for the insight you’ve already given me. I am inspired to know more.

[@orangecountyanthony1613]

My family moved to Compton, California from Tyler, Texas in the late 1940's. Everybody black in California, got family in Texas!👍

[@frida507]

Crowded flights before the holidays I guess (except for this year unfortunately).

[@bigdaddy3621]

My wife was the first Black family I ever met in LA that wasn't from the South. Her family is from Connecticut

[@lindafranco1300]

Mommy from south Carolina..to NY....Popa..from Georgia.. to NY saw too many lynching he said.....had a cousin from South Carolina ..moms side....who took the bones of the slaves from an excavation on Wall Street ..took them back to the homeland to rest..US government paid for there home going....as you said and one helps one up to 6 million...and still we raise....I too was born without the right to vote....I tell my children and grand children that...and it was not that long ago...and maybe one day they will tell the others behind them....you are precious we should never forget those that gave us smiles through our tears and there courage.....

[@Francesj399Maloney]

This is such an informative and charming presentation! Thank you.

[@DeniseSkinner68DeniseSkinner68]

Thank you that was a beautiful story but I also felt the heartache of it as well God bless you

[@lindabrown0]

Have just finished this book. It is so enlightening. I now understand a little bit more about the conditions that the Blacks lived under in the southern states. Considering how immigrants come to USA and make good, it was difficult to understand the barriers that prevented african americans ( shift key not working on keyboard) from doing the same. West Indians did not have to contend with the racism in their own countries as african americans in USA, hence they seemed to do well in USA.

[@LUVJONZ99]

Thanks for sharing that interesting story. I have heard several stories like this from friends. Talk about keeping people enslaved, unbelievable.

[@mirafzal2019]

I am very eagerly waiting to travel westindes of like Jamaica antagave Barbodas port of Spain to see it but I have no money s for it

[@lavivaali2817]

Thnx so much for this summary of what is obviously a grt book 📖 💗. Ur attention to detail in painting a visual of the journey from the southern states to less racist states in the union . It is absolutely amazing ur words were that of a true artist w/ every word u spoke was like a stroke of a paint 🎨 brush. Now I hv a clearer understanding of why my dad & his family landed in the Midwest from North Little Rock .

[@faredaabdulhakim2812]

And I lived Through a great deal of it all praise to the Most High I came out of it To the other side now I relate my story to My grand children and friends ❤️ 💕 💖

[@theterence20able]

My family migrated to Queens, New York in 1962 from Selma, Alabama. My mother’s parents and her maternal grandmother. I Believe my great grandmother was the black sheep of the family she was the only 1 who left Alabama out of all siblings, her daughter my grandmother had a baby that died and the white doctors let the baby die. My fathers mother was from North Carolina her mom died and father Abandoned her. She left for Virginia where her sister died and later moved to Brooklyn, New York.

[@mallowhawk294]

wow

[@hthtv3440]

@45:00 to 47:00 Warped #hypocrisy liken to *this* STILL exists til this day. Sigh. #IsabelWilkerson, fam is currently in a book club reading your book...their enthusiasm led me to find you on YT. Thnx.

[@prezmania]

I would love to learn about the stories of the 27 other people who told their stories - there has to be another book here!

[@mostickbaby313]

From Montgomery Alabama to Detroit Michigan in 1967. 70+% of all Black Migrants to Detroit come from Alabama. Making Detroit the "Alabama Of The North". Just like Chicago is "The Mississippi Of The North". The Detroit/ Alabama Connection is huge and more should be told this. My story. Back in the 70s, we hosted the Coveted Alabama Ball because there was so many Blacks from Alabama in Detroit. We were able to share Great Alabama stories! Love it. Mo$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!

[@sabotagesabotage7927]

Isabel should try through hiking. It’s a true migration experience.

[@mirafzal2019]

Please help for traveling to wistindes like Jamaica antagave Barbodas port of Spain I am eagerly awaiting to see wistindes culture industrial areas to conversation with legend wistindes cricket player s

[@michellewahl4756]

I like where we shared when I said when my husband died I traveled to round the world and if I could’ve runoff the face of the earth I would have

[@iarlamoylan8138]

I'm in love

[@baituljameel1561]

I pray that God will give these tyrants that did this to humans are eternally tortured in perpetual hell fire never feeling a second nor moment of relief. May they suffer millions of times worst than all they perpetrated on these human. Ameen. Oh God destroy them in every moment. Ameen. Oh God, devistate them. Ameen

[@derekcummings3972]

I’m in love with this beautiful, intelligent, feminine sista!!! Muah!

[@westskincare]

“They did everything to us but eat us”

[@frida507]

Why did they drive non stop? Wasn't it allowed to travel or to stop on the way to rest? Could they be arrested or something?

[@frida507]

Later in the video I learned that they would try to stop black people from leaving. But who exatly? Police? Did they have legal ground to stop people from leaving the state? Sorry for stupid questions, I'm not American.

[@frida507]

Driving through the desert seems scary. If your car breaks dowm I guess you could die from heat and thirst. In the north of Sweden before cell phones you could freese to death if your car stops on a scarcely trafficked road in the winter.

[@sharoncooper6379]

There was literally no place where they would be allowed to rent a room or stop to rest.

[@sharoncooper6379]

They would be arrested and returned to the landowner for whom they were sharecroppers. It was not allowed for them to leave, they'd be accused of owning money or some other crime. The entire sharecropping system was set up so that the sharecroppers could not usually make any money. Every year, they generally hoped to break even. Sometimes the owners claimed that they owed money. Hence, always kept poor and unable to move on. Under threat of terrible violence or lynching.

[@frida507]

@@sharoncooper6379 Thanks for explaining!

[@mirafzal2019]

Dahmaze Maye darthe lun za charth zanina ghe madlan maz mashsh ladth

[@mylittlefriends3545]

Not interested in this person!

[@linusthexy6245]

Yet you are here...?

[@tilesetter1953]

I bet that's not your name, you trolling coward!

[@cjsolomon7480]

Book been on my shelf for about 2 years. Picked it up few weeks and can’t put it down. Thank you so much for this work 🫂