11/03/2025
During the month of February, and in honor of Black History Month, the Detroit PBS (Public Broadcasting Station) celebrated and screened the noted American professor, historian, author, and filmmaker, Henry Louis Gates, Jr.’s, new documentary series “Great Migrations – A People on the Move” at the historic Michigan Central Station in Detroit, Michigan.
During the free three-February weekend event, Metro Detroiters had the opportunity to view the film and share with Detroit PBS their personal migration stories or histories of how their families came to Detroit and the lives they created.
On February 22nd, a wonderful panel discussion amongst community leaders took place who discussed “what drew Black Americans from the South to Detroit, the challenges and opportunities they encountered in the city, and how their legacy continues to influence our city and region.”
The award-winning author, genealogist, and historian Eric B. Willis' paternal family’s migration story was documented in his book “The Willis Handbook: An Intersection of Genealogy, Memoirs and History of a Black American Family – 1835-2003,” p.129-131. The story is available for reading along with his maternal family’s migration story on the Panoply House of Publishing website: https://www.panoplyhouseofpublishing.com/bonus-material.html.
Please feel free to share your family's migration stories.
