The Great Migration was the internal migration of around 6 million black southerners to north and west America, from 1910 to 1970. This led to the spread of black culture throughout the United States, as well as economic opportunities for black Americans. One of these migrants, Robert Joseph Pershing Foster, was an ambitious surgeon who moved to Los Angeles in 1953 to escape the limitations of Jim Crow laws. He became successful and renowned, treating celebrities and living among other prominent black professionals. However, he also struggled with a mindset of always having to work harder and constantly prove himself due to the psychological damage caused by racism and living through segregation. His story highlights the often untold psychological effects of the migration experience.