A Thousand Midnights

For Blacks fleeing the south during the Great Migration, economic and racial exploitation were inextricably linked. Black Americans in search of some semblance of freedom from racial terror also longed for the opportunity to provide for their families outside the racial plunder of the Southern plantation system. The purported racial openness of the north was believed to translate into more economic opportunity for Black migrants, their families, and future generations. However, as is the case with much of the American story, this dream remains just out of reach for many. This project chronicles the economic and social histories of Black Americans who came to the north during the Great Migration in search of economic opportunities. The implications of their migration, and the lack of economic opportunity they encountered, has far-reaching consequences for America today.

The project explores Chicago, an American city indelibly shaped by the Great Migration. I will document the physical spaces, neighborhoods, and people who inhabit them to tell the story of Chicago’s evolution.