We can’t wait to watch this!
Emmy-nominated producer, host, and historian Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. has a new docuseries coming to PBS entitled Great Migrations: A People On The Move, PBS reports. First announced in October of last year, the series is the latest from Gates, focusing on the story of African American migrations throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. The series looks at the meaning behind migrations and grapples with themes of political and economic pressure, hope, fear, and the promised land. It examines critical periods in American history and deep dives into the “migratory spirit” of Black people post-emancipation in search of their own American opportunities.
“Human beings have always moved en masse. Since the beginning of human existence, movement has defined how we evolved and created identities, communities, and [nations/states.] Migration is not unique to any single ethnicity or group, but it is a deeply profound aspect of the modern African American experience simply because Black people were denied movement for so long. Theirs was a forced migration from Africa, followed by centuries of enslavement that kept them in place. In being denied movement, they were denied their humanity,” a statement via press release reads.
The series includes interviews with journalists, scholars, professors, and experts, including Stacey Abrams, artist George F. Baker III, and journalist Charles Blow. Gates, a Harvard Professor and director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research, emphasizes the importance of studying the continuing story of migration and its impact on American culture.
“The Great Migration was not just a seismic historical event; it’s an ongoing story. Our series focuses on three dramatic migrations that have profoundly shaped the African American experience, and redefined what it means to be ‘Black’ in this country: the great migration from the Deep South to the North and West; the reverse migration back to the South, and most recently the astonishing large migration of Africans and West Indians to this country in recent decades. In fact, more Africans migrated to the United States in a ten-year period than were forcibly shipped here over the entire course of the slave trade!” explained Gates.
The new docuseries is Gates’ most recent offering exploring the nuances of the Black experience. PBS’ preeminent host, he also boasts other critically acclaimed series, including Gospel, Making Black America: Through The Grapevine, The Black Church, and the wildly popular series Finding Your Roots.
Great Migrations: A People On The Move is a four-part series that will air weekly on PBS starting January 28th at 9 p.m. ET.
Cover photo: Henry Louis Gates Jr.’s New PBS Series Highlights the Migrations That Shaped the African American Experience/Photo credit: PBS