Terrified of horrific violence they faced in the South, between 1910 through the 1970s roughly six million Black people migrated from the South to Northern, Midwestern, and Western regions. Relocating provided better working conditions and educational opportunities.
For some the move was even spiritual.
Spiritual and religious leaders held a lot of weight within communities. Throughout The Great Migration entire communities uprooted themselves to follow their spiritual and religious leaders.
This mass exodus resulted in southern Black religious culture, like singing and dancing, being incorporated into northern church practices.
For leaders like MLK, church was where they learned about community, empowering Black people, and morals they’d root the Civil Rights Movement in.
But not everyone chose migration.
In 1910, 90 percent of America’s Black population lived in the South. By the 1970s, 47 percent of our community had relocated from the South.
Some who stayed did so out of fear or lack of resources. But many remained because of their deep love for community and ties to the land.
While The Great Migration was empowering, it wasn’t accessible or desirable to everyone. Today many people still can’t afford to relocate or travel, especially with inflation.
This is why it’s important we locate spirit from within. Changing our location feels less necessary when our bodies become sacred sites of empowerment.