A family migration map can show more than where relatives lived. For many Black families, it can connect an ancestral Southern county with later branches in Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, or another destination shaped by the Great Migration. Build the map from verified family evidence, record uncertainty honestly, and give relatives a way to add corrections after the reunion.
Start with evidence, not assumptions
Collect names, approximate dates, birth and death records, census entries, obituaries, church programs, military records, city directories, photographs, and interviews. Label every location as confirmed, probable, or family recollection. A remembered story is valuable evidence, but it should not silently become a documented fact.
Ask permission before publishing living relatives' addresses. A city or county is normally enough to explain a migration path without exposing private information.
Build the map in family branches
- Choose one color for each major family branch.
- Mark the earliest verified location for that branch.
- Add dated moves and the relatives connected to them.
- Attach a photograph, document, or short source note where possible.
- Leave an explicit question marker where the evidence conflicts.
Display a simplified map at the reunion and preserve the detailed source list separately. That keeps the exhibit readable without losing the research trail.
Turn the display into a reunion activity
Place removable notes beside the map and invite relatives to add schools, churches, employers, neighborhoods, military stations, and family businesses. Assign a recorder to capture the contributor's name and the source of each addition. Photograph the completed display before taking it down.
Preserve the work after the reunion
Scan additions, reconcile duplicate names, and send uncertain claims back to the relevant branch for review. Store a dated PDF, the editable source file, and a citation list in two controlled locations. Add the final map to the next reunion's family-history program instead of rebuilding it from memory.
Use GatherKin's event documents and itinerary to tell households when the exhibit opens, who is collecting corrections, and where the preserved version will be shared.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Great Migration?
The Great Migration commonly refers to the movement of millions of Black Americans from the rural South to cities in the North, Midwest, and West during the twentieth century.
Should a family migration map include living addresses?
Usually no. Use a city, county, or general region unless the living relative has clearly agreed to share a more precise location.
How do we handle conflicting family stories?
Preserve both accounts, identify their sources, mark the question as unresolved, and continue researching rather than choosing the most familiar version.