Just Ask Thelma
A new photo essay on the Historical Commission website answers some questions about more than one million people of color who migrated from the rural south to the urban north seeking jobs and better lives. Many African Americans settled in the Grand Rapids community and one of those stories is featured in an online photo essay.
Thelma Estelle Garnett: Memphis to Chicago to Grand Rapids, the subject of a current photo essay, was born in Memphis, Tennessee and migrated to the north where she eventually settled in Grand Rapids. Her story is interesting and the photos of her are great, but you may want to check out this photo essay specifically for the list of other resources. Among them you will find a list of Grand Rapids Press articles with local stories and links to some excellent websites dedicated to the Great Migration in general.
The photo essay can be found at www.historygrandrapids.org. Click on either “photos essays” then “neighbors”, and look for Thelma's name.