Date of Award

Spring 5-2025

Document Type

Thesis (Master's)

Department or Program

Master of Arts in Liberal Studies

First Advisor

Donald Pease

Second Advisor

Annelise Orleck

Third Advisor

Klaus Milich

Abstract

The origin of the dissertation came about as me being the only southerner within the group of individuals completing the MALS Program. While studying Cultural studies, I began to take a focus on the Great Migration of black Americans migrating from the South to other regions of the United States. As a southerner, I was aware of the migration patterns but never went in-depth on the subject because I felt no connection. While studying, I noticed the perception of black women who were being used as subjects. Women who were being forced out of their southern situations because of segregation, access to education, access to occupation, and abuse often left poverty to experience poverty in a different form. The lack of success stories was alarming as a researcher, once I expressed this concern to my family, historical information about women in my family began to arise. These women were successful, becoming entrepreneurs, educated, and exposed to a lifestyle where discrimination because of their sex or gender was almost non-existent. I began my research by interviewing my family members, mostly those who were senior to me and my parents, who would have experienced life during the times of migration. Only one of my subjects is still alive. Still, the other women left stories and evidence of their successful migration that allowed me to produce work to combat the information scholars had published. The results I discovered were that Black women achieved success at a high volume, which enabled them to hold positions of power within society and be financially free to provide for both immediate and distant family. Even though I focused on my family, I can conclude that Black Women were highly successful with migrating and that there’s still a lot of oral history that has not been documented that can support my claim.

Download

Share

COinS