Library Journal
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Phillips's (history, Brooklyn Coll.; War! What Is It Good For?: Black Freedom Struggles and the U.S. Military from World War II to Iraq) comprehensive history explores the migration of the nine million African Americans who left the South for other regions of the United States between 1865 and 1965, and also discusses the 1.3 million Africans and 500,000 Caribbean migrants who have entered the United States over the past 40 years. After an introductory essay, "Black Migration and the African Diaspora," six chapters explore eras and places, starting with "African American Migration after 1865" and continuing with, among others, "Migrants and Migration during the Great Depression and World War II" and "Migrants and Civil Rights Cities." Students of cultural history will appreciate the close attention Phillips pays to the social and political drivers that caused African Americans to move around the United States and her consideration of how the group's migration affected the evolution of African American culture. The book really shines in its 15-page epilogue, which deals with history from 1965 to 2005 and includes more information about modern African and Caribbean influences on black American culture. Still, be advised that while this book contains occasional references to the larger international African diaspora for global context of African American history, it does not explore the international diaspora in any depth but rather stays true to its title by focusing mainly on the migration of African Americans within the United States. VERDICT Offering a solid overview of post-slavery African American migration, this book will be a useful complement to the more international coverage in Patrick Manning's The African Diaspora: A History Through Culture.-Jennifer Stith, Johnson C. Smith Univ., Charlotte, NC (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.