In Migration Patterns, Brandon Ruffin documents the enduring influence of Southern African-American culture in Northern California, which developed through the Great Migration during the twentieth century in the United States. He focuses on the cities of Oakland, San Francisco and his hometown of Richmond. A descendant of Louisiana families who moved west, Ruffin explores how traditions and identities are transmitted across space and time, and visually interprets a culture born of the Great Migration. Through his photographs he tells stories of humanity, bringing to light the realities of life. Ruffin's work adds a vital voice to contemporary African American photography, creating a bridge between past and present, personal and collective, silence and testimony. The book opens with Enjoli Flynn-Ruffin's poem Siobhan and concludes with an essay by journalist and cultural critic Pendarvis Harshaw, which frames the photographic work and offers further insight into this historical and cultural movement. Together, text and image form a narrative about migration, living legacy, and the ever-evolving meaning of home.