Though it was relatively short, the chapter which stood out to me most was that of Chapter 39- wherein two “sisters”, whether blood-related or religiously bound, write to each other, one having just moved North as part of the Great Migration. There are several points integral to understanding this document: the first being the already widening gap between the two-in the way that the sisters write (the writing of the Northern sister being more grammatically correct and with less spelling errors), the second being the measures put in place to recruit migrating black Americans to churches (the Northern sister having arrived “in time to attend one of the greatest revivals in the history of [her] life– over 500 people joined the church” (Sernett 366).), and the third being the ways in which the formerly tight-knit community is able to keep in contact after so many moves (repeated requests for the Southern sister to contact the Northern one when she moves imply that there may be a loss of contact if not- though the Southern sister is somehow able to keep in contact with previous community members who have moved North). What I think is vital to realize is the fact that history is so often told by people who come to power that perspectives of everyday people are indispensable. Oftentimes, those in (relative) power are far removed from the experiences of people who are affected by powerful peoples’ actions. In inspecting the experiences of those people whose lives were affected on a magnified lens, the events unfurling around them can be made more of a human issue.

A map of the patterns of migration!