Past Is Prologue
The Art of Reclaiming Your Roots
A conversation on migration, lineage, and family with Morgan Jerkins, author of ‘Wandering in Strange Lands’
Morgan Jerkins is a New York Times bestselling author, a senior editor at our sister publication ZORA, and a daughter of the Great Migration. In her forthcoming book, the highly anticipated Wandering in Strange Lands: A Daughter of the Great Migration Reclaims Her Roots, Jerkins takes readers — and herself — on the journey of several lifetimes in an attempt to report out and repair a lineage marred by slavery and migration. It’s a story about her family, and about any Black family for whom movement meant survival.
After hearing Morgan read an excerpt from the book, I asked if she’d be willing to share more about her research process, the discoveries she made, and any advice she can offer those looking to embark on a similar journey. The result of our conversation is below and has been edited for clarity.
Steph Georgopulos: When I recently heard you read an excerpt of Wandering in Strange Lands, the first person I thought of was my mom. It really hit me how she, and so many other people, have this desire to research where and who they come from but hit a wall at a certain point and don’t know where to go…
