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15. The Exodus Train The most recent draft of this chapter was written by Joseph Bougere and dated May 22, 1942. It was found at the Newberry Library with minor comments in the handwriting of Jack Conroy that have been incorporated by the editor. A copy of the same draft was also found in the IWP papers without Conroy’s corrections. The Great Migration reached flood tide by 1917. The Chicago Defender received thousands of letters out of the Deep South, as did the Chicago Urban League, the organization to which the paper usually referred prospective migrants inquiring about employment. A Birmingham staff correspondent of the Defender wrote early in February: The members of the Race in this section of the country are way ahead of the leaders who are just now considering the advisability of going north to better their conditions. The leaders among the churches, ministers, and bishops are telling the cause for leaving, but they are too late. Thousands have left for the North and thousands are still leaving and a million will leave with the Great Northern Drive on May 15, 1917. The maltreatment of the whites toward members of our Race is the sole cause of the exodus. It is the general belief here that its God’s plan and hand and that through His Providence the Race will be helpful. At the same time the paper urged from Chicago: The Defender invites all to come north. Plenty of room for the good, sober, industrious men and women. Plenty of work. For those who will not work, the jails will take care of you. When you have served your 90 days at hard labor, you will then learn how to work. Anywhere in God’s country is better than the southland. Don’t let the crackers fool you. Cast the yoke from around your neck. See the light, when you have crossed the Ohio River, breathe fresh air and say, “Why didn’t I come before.”1 The legend of the Great Northern Drive spread rapidly months before the appointed date, May 15, 1917. The Birmingham staff correspondent on March 10: The Great Northern Drive spoken of by the Chicago Defender is taking place long before the time set by the paper. They are leaving here by the thousands. The Birmingham AgeDolinar_Text .indd 130 3/14/13 9:59 AM The Exodus Train 131 Herald is trying to make light of so many leaving but they seem to have the Defender tonic in their system and are heading north. A month earlier the Savannah correspondent had said: The word has been passed along from father to son, from mother to daughter, brother to brother and sister to sister, prepare for the day is coming. This spring a general movement will be started northward by millions of members of the Race from all over the south. It is expected before that time, however, that thousands will have left despite the fact that many educated men of the Race who have hid behind the clock of school teachers and ministers of the gospel aided by the publicity of their acts given them by the white press, have tried to scare them with the cold weather gag. Not only this but some of the more trifling kind took advantage of free transportation given by railroads and other industries, went north without desiring to work, and found out that there was no white men in that section of the country who would give him money to battle on Jim or John, has come back with some excuse. These fellows are “good niggers” and find their names in print the day following their arrival back home. Letters requesting information about the Great Northern Drive flooded the Defender office for months. Anxiety and even desperation pervaded many of them. One from New Orleans read: I reads your paper and I am asking about the drive of May the 15. We want more understanding about it for there is a great many of us that wants to come and the depot agent never given us any satisfaction when we ask for they don’t want us to leave. Please put in your paper Saturday, just what time the train will be here, and the fare so we can be there on time. Many women are wanting to come. They are hard working women, the white folks tell us we have to have plenty of money to come north, if this is right...

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