SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) – Roughly 5% of the population in Sioux City, Iowa is African American, yet they have a rich history in the metro area. There were two large waves of African Americans moving to the northern areas of the United States. The first wave was in the late 1800s. "When the first Blacks arrived into the city, they came off the steamships down by the Missouri River," Jim Tillman, a Sioux City historian, said. "Their residence was actually downtown in that area by the railroad tracks. This is how they got to Sioux City." The second wave hit during The Great Migration. Between 1910 and 1970, African Americans were leaving the South and heading north for a better life. "That's really when Sioux City, in particular, started growing because of the packing houses. Keep in mind, in 1920 there were approximately 1,100 Black families in Sioux City," Tillman said. Sioux City has grown gradually over the last century and in today's time, there are roughly 4,500 African Americans still living in the metro. But one family that arrived in Sioux City several generations ago is still there. "Grandpa George Arthur Daniels, he came to Sioux City in 1918 from Atlanta, Georgia. There was a historical event where the Blacks got run out of Forsyth County," Tillman said. "That's how we first got here." While living in Sioux City was not easy for many African Americans a century ago, it presented better opportunities. "It was to raise a family, to make some money, better job opportunities, just a safer way of living, a safer way of existing," Tillman said. "Even this area was challenging for opportunity and that type of thing. You got to remember the Jim Crow attitude of the South came to the North. The North was no picnic either, but it wasn't the South." But as time progressed, folks started moving again. This time headed west toward California. "A lot of people from Sioux City left Sioux City and found major success, where there's more opportunities," Tillman said.