Read: James N. Gregory, The Southern Diaspora (Part 1)

Gregory, James N. "The Black Metropolis." The Southern Diaspora: How the Great Migrations of Black and White Southerners Transformed America. Chapel Hill, NC: U of North Carolina P, 2005.

This is the first piece I have read for my dissertation since before I gave birth. Boy, it's been a while! But I'm glad I started out with this one, because it made me feel good about my project again. It has helped me remember some things and think through some others. I'm only halfway through it, but right now I feel it's more of a historical/sociological resource. He is asking readers to reconsider the term "black metropolis" (coined pre-World War II) by steering it away from its negative connotations toward more positive, productive connotations.

So that's what I have until now. I hope to finish reading it tomorrow; I will keep you posted on my progress!