morgan jerkins wandering in strange lands

In this fascinating and deeply personal exploration, she recreates her ancestors’ journeys across America, following the migratory routes they took from Georgia and South Carolina to Louisiana, Oklahoma, and California.įollowing in their footsteps, Jerkins seeks to understand not only her own past, but the lineage of an entire group of people who have been displaced, disenfranchised, and disrespected throughout our history. But while this event transformed the complexion of America and provided black people with new economic opportunities, it also disconnected them from their roots, their land, and their sense of identity, argues Morgan Jerkins. “One of the smartest young writers of her generation.”-Book Riotįrom the acclaimed cultural critic and New York Times bestselling author of This Will Be My Undoing-a writer whom Roxane Gay has hailed as “a force to be reckoned with”-comes this powerful story of her journey to understand her northern and southern roots, the Great Migration, and the displacement of black people across America.īetween 19, six million black Americans left their rural homes in the South for jobs in cities in the North, West, and Midwest in a movement known as The Great Migration. Named one of the most anticipated books of the year by ELLE, Buzzfeed, Esquire, Bitch Media, Good Housekeeping, Electric Literature, Parade and BookRiot One of TIME's 100 Must Read Books of 2020 and one of Good Housekeeping's Best Books of the Year

Morgan jerkins wandering in strange lands