We, the undersigned, call on PBS to remove the upcoming documentary The Great Migration: A People on the Move featuring Henry Louis Gates Jr., set to air on January 28, 2025, from its broadcast schedule. PBS claims that the documentary explores how a series of Black migrations have shaped America, but it wrongly intertwines the history of the Great Migration of Black American Descendants with that of Afro-immigrants. This misrepresentation not only distorts the truth of our historical experience but also contributes to the ongoing erasure and ethnocide of the Black American Descendant Community.

THE GREAT MIGRATION: A BLACK AMERICAN DESCENDANT STORY

The Great Migration refers to the historic movement of millions of Black Americans from the Southern United States to the North, Midwest, and West, spanning from approximately 1916 to 1970. This migration was not voluntary but was driven by a need to escape the oppressive conditions of the Jim Crow South, widespread racial violence, systemic discrimination, and lack of economic opportunity.

Black Americans sought refuge and new beginnings in industrial cities like Chicago, Detroit, and New York, where they hoped to find jobs, secure better living conditions, and participate in the American Dream. Despite these aspirations, Black migrants faced continued racism, segregation, and marginalization in these new regions. Nonetheless, they built vibrant communities, contributed to the cultural and economic fabric of America, and furthered the struggle for civil rights.

This historical period is integral to Black American descendants of U.S. chattel slavery, as it represents a fight for survival, dignity, and upward mobility in a country that has systematically oppressed us for centuries. To conflate this journey with that of Afro-immigrants, whose experiences and voluntary migrations differ vastly from ours, is not only inaccurate but also harmful to our identity and legacy.

ERASURE AND ETHNOGENOCIDE

PBS and media outlets must understand the gravity of intertwining these separate histories. The Great Migration is a distinctly Black American Descendant experience. By incorporating Afro-immigrant narratives into our historical journey, PBS erases our lineage, cultural heritage, and the unique struggles and triumphs that Black Americans endured. This is not just misrepresentation—it is ethnocide, the deliberate erasure of a people's history and identity. This documentary contributes to a broader societal issue where race is weaponized, and the heritage of Black Americans is minimized or obscured.

As a society, we should be working toward the abolition of race as a construct, which has been harmful to Black Americans and the nation as a whole. The continuous effort to erase the distinctions between Black Americans and Afro-immigrants perpetuates racial confusion and undermines the unique rights and reparative justice that our community deserves.

OUR DEMANDS

We DEMAND that PBS remove The Great Migration: A People on the Move from its broadcast schedule. This documentary perpetuates lies, distorts history, and is complicit in the ethnocide of the Black American Descendant Community. PBS must not be part of this attempt to rewrite our history. It is dangerous, harmful, and unacceptable.

Additionally, this matter will be added to our ongoing lawsuit against the Federal Office of Management & Budget (OMB), which has continued to ignore our demands for federal delineation of the Black American Descendant community. The media’s role in promoting false narratives further underscores the need for formal recognition of our distinct identity.

CALL TO ACTION

We ask our community and allies to join us in this fight. Stand with us by signing this petition and sharing it widely with your network. We must make it clear that the erasure of our history will not be tolerated. Together, we will protect our legacy, demand accountability, and ensure that our stories are told accurately.

Sign now to demand PBS remove The Great Migration: A People on the Move and to safeguard the truth of Black American Descendants.

In Solidarity 

TBAT Taskforce and Black American Cultural Council