New Great Migration facts for kids
The New Great Migration is a big move of people that started around 1970 and is still happening today. It's like a reverse of an earlier time when many African Americans moved from the Southern United States to the North and Midwest.
Now, many African Americans are moving back to the South. This started because many factories in Northern and Midwestern cities closed down, meaning fewer jobs. At the same time, new jobs grew in the "New South" (Southern states). The cost of living, like rent and food, is often lower in the South.
People also moved to be closer to family and friends. Some wanted to reconnect with specific Black cultures, like the Gullah people. There was also a feeling that there was less unfair treatment in the South. Strong religious connections also played a part.
Between 1965 and 1970, the Southern states lost about 287,000 African Americans. But from 1975 to 1980, the South gained about 109,000 African Americans. This showed the big change in migration.
Younger African Americans, especially those born between 1981 and 1996 (called millennials), have moved a lot to states like Texas, Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina. Meanwhile, African American populations have continued to decrease in many parts of the Northeast, especially in New York and northern New Jersey.
Who is Moving and Where?
Many people moving in the New Great Migration are college graduates and middle-class families. For example, from 1965 to 2000, Florida, Georgia, and Texas attracted the most Black college graduates. The only state outside the old Confederate States that attracted many Black college graduates was Maryland. Most of this growth was in the areas around Washington, D.C..
The New Great Migration isn't happening everywhere in the South. Just like the earlier migration, people are mostly moving to big cities and urban areas. These include cities like Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Dallas, Raleigh, Washington, D.C., Tampa, Virginia Beach, San Antonio, Memphis, Orlando, Nashville, and Jacksonville.
Charlotte, North Carolina, is a very popular spot for African American migrants. Between 1975 and 1980, Charlotte gained 2,725 African Americans. This number grew to 7,497 between 1985 and 1990. From 1995 to 2000, it jumped to 23,313. This shows that Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, and Houston are growing fast as popular places for these migrants.
The percentage of Black Americans living in the South has been increasing since 1990. The biggest increases are in the large cities. For example, the Black population in the Atlanta area more than doubled between 1990 and 2020. It now has over 2 million Black residents. The Black population also more than doubled in the Charlotte area. Greater Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth both saw their Black populations go over 1 million for the first time.
Smaller cities also saw big gains. These include San Antonio; Raleigh and Greensboro, North Carolina; and Orlando. The main places people are moving to are states with the most job opportunities. These include Georgia, North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee, Florida, and Texas. Other Southern states, like Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina, Alabama, and Arkansas, have not seen as much growth from this return migration.
Why Religion Matters
Religion might be one reason for the New Great Migration. Many people moving try to find a "sign of God" about their move. Even those moving for jobs might use their faith to help with the unsure feelings of moving to a new state.
Some migrants move to feel more connected to their faith. They see the move as a "spiritual journey." This is because Southern states, often called the Bible Belt, have many churches and a strong connection to Protestant Christianity.
Images for kids
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Graph showing the percentage of the African American population living in the American South, 1790–2010.
See also
In Spanish: Nueva Gran Migración para niños
