<P> The Great Migration was the movement of 6 million African - Americans out of the rural Southern United States to the urban Northeast , Midwest , and West that occurred between 1916 and 1970 . Until 1910 , more than 90 percent of the African - American population lived in the American South . In 1900 , only one - fifth of African - Americans living in the South were living in urban areas . By the end of the Great Migration , 53 percent of the African - American population remained in the South , while 40 percent lived in the North , and 7 percent in the West , and the African - American population had become highly urbanized . By 1970 , more than 80 percent of African - Americans lived in cities , and by 1960 , of those African - Americans still living in the South , half now lived in urban areas . In 1991 , Nicholas Lemann wrote that the Great Migration : </P>
<P> The Great Migration was the movement of 6 million African - Americans out of the rural Southern United States to the urban Northeast , Midwest , and West that occurred between 1916 and 1970 . Until 1910 , more than 90 percent of the African - American population lived in the American South . In 1900 , only one - fifth of African - Americans living in the South were living in urban areas . By the end of the Great Migration , 53 percent of the African - American population remained in the South , while 40 percent lived in the North , and 7 percent in the West , and the African - American population had become highly urbanized . By 1970 , more than 80 percent of African - Americans lived in cities , and by 1960 , of those African - Americans still living in the South , half now lived in urban areas . In 1991 , Nicholas Lemann wrote that the Great Migration : </P>
when did large numbers of african-americans first leave the south
when did large numbers of african-americans first leave the south
between 1916 and 1970
between 1916 and 1970