In the years between 1915 and 1970 almost six million black American citizens from the south migrated to northern and western cities seeking freedom and a better life. Our guest is Pulitzer Prize winner, Isabel Wilkerson author of âThe Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of Americaâs Great Migration.â Her book tells the untold experiences of the African-Americans who fled the south over three generations.
Wilkerson interviewed more than 1,000 people for her book. She is the first black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize and is a recipient of the George Polk Award and a John Simon Guggenheim Fellow. Her parents were part of the great migration, journeying from Georgia and southern Virginia to Washington D.C.
In the first of two interviews recorded from Isabel Wilkersonâs home near Atlanta, Georgia, on September 28, 2012, she begins with a description of the âbiggest untold story of the 20th century.âÂ
The book Isabel Wilkerson recommends is âThe Ark of Justice,â by Kevin Boyle.
Barry Vogel, Esq. is the host and producer. Ignacio Ayala is the assistant producer.
Radio Curious is a half-hour, weekly, long-form interview program, now in it's 28th year. We interview people on a curiously wide variety of topics about life and ideas. Our website is www.radiocurious.org. If your station airs Radio Curious please let us know curious@radiocurious.org, we will add you to our list of syndicate stations. We also welcome questions, feedback and program ideas.
Wilkerson, Isabel â Americaâs Great Migration: 1915-1970 Part One