Awards

• Winner of Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards (Nonfiction) 2022

Overview

A searing new work of nonfiction from award-winning author Brandy Colbert about the history and legacy of one of the most deadly and destructive acts of racial violence in American history: the Tulsa Race Massacre. In the early morning of June 1, 1921, a white mob marched across the train tracks in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and into its predominantly Black Greenwood District--a thriving, affluent neighborhood known as America's Black Wall Street. They brought with them firearms, gasoline, and explosives. In a few short hours, they'd razed thirty-five square blocks to the ground, leaving hundreds dead. The Tulsa Race Massacre is one of the most devastating acts of racial violence in US history. But how did it come to pass? What exactly happened? And why are the events unknown to so many of us today? These are the questions that award-winning author Brandy Colbert seeks to answer in this unflinching nonfiction account of the Tulsa Race Massacre. In examining the tension that was brought to a boil by many factors--white resentment of Black economic and political advancement, the resurgence of white supremacist groups, the tone and perspective of the media, and more--a portrait is drawn of an event singular in its devastation, but not in its kind. It is part of a legacy of white violence that can be traced from our country's earliest days through Reconstruction, the Civil Rights movement in the mid-twentieth century, and the fight for justice and accountability Black Americans still face today. The Tulsa Race Massacre has long failed to fit into the story Americans like to tell themselves about the history of their country. This book, ambitious and intimate in turn, explores the ways in which the story of the Tulsa Race Massacre is the story of America--and by showing us who we are, points to a way forward.

Full Product Details

9798200743858

Table of Contents

Reviews

Colbert writes confidently about the truth of American history that has been long omitted from textbooks and conversations...Necessary reading for any student of history. -- Booklist (starred review) Excellent nonfiction book, a welcome contribution to the growing literature about this tragedy. -- Horn Book This sophisticated volume makes clear that the destruction of Black property and lives in the Tulsa Race Massacre was not an isolated incident. The clear, readable prose supports...a compelling recounting that invites and encourages readers to grapple with difficult history. -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Colbert writes confidently about the truth of American history that has been long omitted from textbooks and conversations...Necessary reading for any student of history. -- ""Booklist (starred review)"" Excellent nonfiction book, a welcome contribution to the growing literature about this tragedy. -- ""Horn Book"" This sophisticated volume makes clear that the destruction of Black property and lives in the Tulsa Race Massacre was not an isolated incident. The clear, readable prose supports...a compelling recounting that invites and encourages readers to grapple with difficult history. -- ""Kirkus Reviews (starred review)""

"Colbert writes confidently about the truth of American history that has been long omitted from textbooks and conversations...Necessary reading for any student of history. -- ""Booklist (starred review)"" Excellent nonfiction book, a welcome contribution to the growing literature about this tragedy. -- ""Horn Book"" This sophisticated volume makes clear that the destruction of Black property and lives in the Tulsa Race Massacre was not an isolated incident. The clear, readable prose supports...a compelling recounting that invites and encourages readers to grapple with difficult history. -- ""Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"""

Author Information

Brandy Colbert is the critically acclaimed author of the novels Pointe, The Voting Booth, Finding Yvonne, The Revolution of Birdie Randolph, The Only Black Girls in Town, and the Stonewall Award winner Little & Lion. A trained journalist, she also worked with boundary-breaking ballet dancer Misty Copeland to adapt her memoir into the bestselling book Life in Motion: Young Readers Edition. She is on the faculty at Hamline University's MFA degree program for writing for children and young adults. find her online at www.brandycolbert.com. Brandy Colbert is the critically acclaimed author of the novels Pointe, The Voting Booth, Finding Yvonne, The Revolution of Birdie Randolph, The Only Black Girls in Town, and the Stonewall Award winner Little & Lion. A trained journalist, she also worked with boundary-breaking ballet dancer Misty Copeland to adapt her memoir into the bestselling book Life in Motion: Young Readers Edition. She is on the faculty at Hamline University's MFA degree program for writing for children and young adults. find her online at www.brandycolbert.com. Kristyl Dawn Tift is an Atlanta-based actress, singer, and narrator whose voice has been described as warm, engaging, versatile, and dynamic. She holds an MFA in acting from the New School for Drama in New York City, and has been performing professionally since 2004. On stage, she has worked with True Colors Theatre Company, Aurora Theatre, Theatre Emory, and the Alliance Educational Theatre. She has been in such films and televisions shows as Hall Pass, Necessary Roughness, One Tree Hill, and House of Payne. As a performer, her voice is an integral part of creating memorable characters and telling affecting stories.

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