Tavis Smiley Season 7 Episode 182 Isabel Wilkerson

Isabel Wilkerson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist, sits down with Tavis Smiley in season 7 episode 182 to discuss her latest book, "The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration". The book highlights the experiences of African Americans who left the South between 1915 and 1970 in search of a better life.

Wilkerson begins by explaining the inspiration behind the book: the migration stories she heard from her own parents, who left the South for the North in the early 1960s. She describes how she spent 15 years researching and writing the book, conducting extensive interviews with over 1200 people who had migrated from the South.

Throughout the interview, Wilkerson emphasizes the human costs of the Great Migration. She notes that many people left behind homes, families, and communities they loved, and that the journey North was often perilous. Many migrants faced discrimination and violence in their new homes, and had to navigate unfamiliar landscapes and customs.

Wilkerson also discusses some of the broader impacts of the Great Migration on American society. She argues that the migration helped to reshape the racial landscape of the United States, bringing African Americans into political and cultural life in ways that had not been possible before. She notes that many migrants had to become adept at navigating multiple cultures and identities, and that these experiences helped to shape the course of American history.

Tavis Smiley engages with Wilkerson on these themes, asking her about the role of race, class, and gender in the migration. They also discuss the ways in which the migration has been remembered and forgotten in American culture, and the ongoing struggles that many African Americans face today.

Overall, the interview provides a nuanced and moving exploration of one of the most important social movements in American history. Wilkerson's book, "The Warmth of Other Suns," offers a powerful reminder of the human costs and benefits of migration, and of the ongoing struggle for equality and justice in the United States.