Isabel Wilkerson in Oakland 9-23- 2010 | The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration
“Profound, necessary and an absolutely compelling read.” – Toni Morrison
“The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration” brilliantly chronicles the decades-long migration of African-Americans from the South to the North and West, from World War I through the 1970s – through the stories of three individuals and their families. Over a decade in the writing and research, drawing on archival materials and more than 1,200 interviews, Isabel Wilkerson chronicles a major shift in American life, comparable to the immigration experience of many people who came to this country, setting off into the unknown in search of a better life. It will stand as a classic of narrative journalism and of modern American history, equaling masterworks by Diane McWhorter, Doris Kearns Goodwin, and Robert Caro.
Isabel Wilkerson, the first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in journalism, is Professor of Journalism and Director of Narrative Nonfiction at Boston University. She has also won a George S. Polk Award, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a Journalist of the Year Award from the National Association of Black Journalists.