Migration Panels

Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series comprises 60 individual panels illustrating key aspects of the Great African-American Migration, which was in full swing as he created the series in 1941. Half of Lawrence’s presentation of this critical story is available at MoMA in New York City and half is available at the Phillips Collection in Washington DC.

Each panel is beautiful and important in its own right, but we are very pleased that we are able to present, and make available, the entire collection here in one place.

The Migration Series, Panel no. 17: Tenant farmers received harsh treatment at the hands of planters.

Jacob Lawrence

Migration panel 18. The migration gained in momentum.

Jacob Lawrence

The Migration Series, Panel no. 19: There had always been discrimination.

Jacob Lawrence

Migration panel 20. In many of the communities the Negro press was read continually because of its attitude and its encouragement of the movement.

Jacob Lawrence

The Migration Series, Panel no. 21: Families arrived at the station very early. They did not wish to miss their trains north.

Jacob Lawrence

Migration panel 22. Another of the social causes of the migrants' leaving was that at times they did not feel safe, or it was not the best thing to be found on the streets late at night. They were arrested on the slightest provocation.

Jacob Lawrence

The Migration Series, Panel no. 23: The migration spread.

Jacob Lawrence

Migration panel 24. Child labor and a lack of education was one of the other reasons for people wishing to leave their homes.

Jacob Lawrence

The Migration Series, Panel no. 25: They left their homes. Soon some communities were left almost empty.

Jacob Lawrence

Migration panel 26. And people all over the South began to discuss this great movement.

Jacob Lawrence

The Migration Series, Panel no. 27: Many men stayed behind until they could take their families north with them.

Jacob Lawrence

Migration panel 28. The labor agent who had been sent South by Northern industry was a very familiar person in the Negro counties.

Jacob Lawrence

The Migration Series, Panel no. 29: The labor agent recruited unsuspecting laborers as strike breakers for northern industries.

Jacob Lawrence

Migration panel 30. In every home people who had not gone North met and tried to decide if they should go North or not.

Jacob Lawrence

The Migration Series, Panel no. 31: The migrants found improved housing when they arrived north.

Jacob Lawrence

Migration panel 32. The railroad stations in the South were crowded with people leaving for the North.

Jacob Lawrence