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Jacob Lawrence and the Great Migration

The Great Migration was a significant movement of over six million African Americans from the rural South to urban areas in the North and West between 1916 and 1970, driven by the search for better opportunities and escaping racial discrimination. Jacob Lawrence's 'Migration Series' artistically captures this experience, highlighting the struggles and hopes of the migrants, and plays a crucial role in redefining American culture by emphasizing the importance of Black narratives. The Harlem Renaissance, fueled by this migration, showcased the richness of African American contributions to art and culture, challenging dominant historical narratives and laying the groundwork for future civil rights activism.

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Darmelis Santos Collado
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18 views4 pages

Jacob Lawrence and the Great Migration

The Great Migration was a significant movement of over six million African Americans from the rural South to urban areas in the North and West between 1916 and 1970, driven by the search for better opportunities and escaping racial discrimination. Jacob Lawrence's 'Migration Series' artistically captures this experience, highlighting the struggles and hopes of the migrants, and plays a crucial role in redefining American culture by emphasizing the importance of Black narratives. The Harlem Renaissance, fueled by this migration, showcased the richness of African American contributions to art and culture, challenging dominant historical narratives and laying the groundwork for future civil rights activism.

Uploaded by

Darmelis Santos Collado
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© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Darmelis Santos

Professor Ray Mohalil

ARH2051

April 22 2025

The Great Migration: Defining American Culture Through the Art of Jacob Lawrence"

The Great Migration was the mass movement of over six million African Americans

from the rural South to urban centers in the North and West between 1916 and 1970. This

historic shift occurred due to several push and pull factors. In the South, African Americans

faced severe racial discrimination, violence, Jim Crow laws, and limited economic opportunities,

primarily confined to sharecropping and low-wage labor. In contrast, the North offered the

promise of industrial jobs, better education, political rights, and a chance for a more dignified

life. World War I had also created labor shortages in northern factories, further encouraging

Black families to relocate (Kleiner).

This migration profoundly reshaped American cities and culture, giving rise to dynamic

communities like Harlem in New York City. It was during this time that the Harlem Renaissance

flourished—a movement celebrating Black art, music, literature, and intellectual thought

(Kleiner).

Jacob Lawrence, one of the most iconic artists of the Harlem Renaissance, captured the

essence of the Great Migration through his work. His "Migration Series," a collection of 60

panels, vividly tells the story of African Americans moving North. Lawrence’s style—bold
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colors, sharp lines, and powerful imagery—communicated both the hardships and hopes of the

migrants. His panels portrayed crowded trains, busy city scenes, and the stark realities of

discrimination, even in northern cities (Zucker and Harris).

Lawrence’s work is essential in defining American culture in the 20th century because it

tells a story that had been largely ignored by mainstream narratives. His paintings not only

documented historical events but also gave African Americans a visual representation of their

strength, perseverance, and dreams. Through his artwork, Lawrence elevated Black experiences

to national importance, influencing how Americans understand their own history (Zucker and

Harris).

In broader terms, artists like Jacob Lawrence and his contemporaries showed that

American culture is not monolithic—it is a vibrant tapestry woven from diverse voices, histories,

and experiences. Through their paintings, sculptures, music, and literature, they challenged

dominant narratives that had long excluded or marginalized African American contributions. By

celebrating Black life, struggle, and resilience, they asserted that these stories were not separate

from American history but were central to it (Padgett and Harris). Their creative expressions

provided inspiration and a sense of pride for future generations, helping to lay the cultural

groundwork for the civil rights activism that would surge in the decades to come.

The Harlem Renaissance, fueled by the Great Migration, made it impossible to ignore the

power and creativity of a people who had long been oppressed. In doing so, it expanded the

definition of what it means to be American—beyond race, beyond regional identity, to something

more inclusive and dynamic. The timeless quality of their art lies in its ability to continue
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speaking to new audiences today, reminding us of the enduring struggles for equality and the

beauty of cultural resilience (Padgett and Harris).


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Works Cited

●​ Kleiner , Fred S. Gardner’s Art Through the Ages. 16th ed., Cengage .

●​ Dr. Jennifer Padgett, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and Dr. Beth Harris, "A

Harlem street scene by Jacob Lawrence, Ambulance Call," in Smarthistory, October 3,

2018, accessed April 26, 2025,

[Link]

●​ Dr. Steven Zucker and Dr. Beth Harris, "Jacob Lawrence, The Migration Series," in

Smarthistory, August 9, 2015, accessed April 26, 2025,

[Link]

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