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Food and Folks of The Great Migration

A Black History Month Celebration

Join storyteller Michelle Washington Wilson to learn about the widespread migration of African Americans in the 20th century from rural communities in the South to large cities in the North and West.

Michelle Washington Wilson is a storyteller, teaching artist, and folklorist from Newtonville, New Jersey. She has traveled across North America and throughout the Caribbean gathering stories and folklore traditions. Earning more than 100 awards for her public speaking skills, she is a member of the NJ Storytelling Network, The National Storytelling Network, and the National Association of Black Storytellers. She offers workshops for foundations and other professional organizations.

The Great Migration, in U.S. history, is the widespread migration of African Americans in the 20th century from rural communities in the South to large cities and some rural towns in the North and West. The First Great Migration, from the end of reconstruction through 1940, created the “Harlem Renaissance.” The Second Great Migration, from 1950 to 1970, spurred the Civil Rights Movement. It took courage, determination and sometimes outright craftiness to leave people's homes and relocate in the North.

"The Food and The Folks of The Great Migration" includes history and stories of The Great Migration along with sample recipes of foods that would be brought to eat along the way, since African Americans could not stop and dine at their leisure and choice due to the rules of segregation. This is one of Michelle's  personal favorite programs, because it includes the story of her family and how they came to live in South Jersey. Please register.

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