Dr. Yohuru Williams, distinguished University Chair and founding director of the Racial Justice Initiative at the University of St. Thomas, recently appeared in the PBS documentary Great Migrations: A People on the Move, hosted by historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. The four-part series explores the African American migration experience, examining how migration has shaped the history of the U.S. and the Black community.
The series examines key moments in Black migration history, including the Great Migration, as well as the influx of Caribbean and African immigrants. Williams provided valuable insight into the historical and contemporary impact of African American migration, adding his expertise to the broader conversation about the ongoing effects of these movements on the Black experience in the U.S.
“For African immigrants, there’s an ethnic identity, there’s a religious identity, there’s a national identity. And then coming in the context of the United States, you have our racial identities imprinted onto those people.” - Dr. Yohuru Williams, Great Migrations: A People on the Move, Episode 4.
