“I could see planes circling in mid-air…They grew in number and hummed, darted and dipped low. I could hear something like hail failing upon the top of my office building…” —Buck Colbert Franklin, Attorney/Survivor Tulsa Race Massacre
This month will mark the 100th Anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre, a horrific act of terrorism that “remains one of the worst incidents of racial violence in U.S. history, and, for a period, remained one of the least-known. . .” The above quote from Buck Colbert Franklin is his account of an airplane attack on the city. Franklin is the father of the renowned historian, John Hope Franklin. More people are now learning about the 1921 incident that destroyed the Greenwood section of Tulsa, Oklahoma, which included an area called “Black Wall Street.” Most of the books listed are 2021 releases. They include fiction and nonfiction titles. Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford, received multiple starred reviews, with the School Library Journal stating, “This moving account sheds light on shameful events long suppressed or ignored. All collections should consider this title’s value in providing historical context to current conversations about racism and America’s ongoing legacy of white supremacy.” Pick up a copy or a few of the titles listed and delve into this significant part of Black history. Our stories matter.
1. Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre
Carole Boston Weatherford | Floyd Cooper | Carolrhoda Books | February 1, 2021 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
2. Opal’s Greenwood Oasis
Najah-amatullah Hylton | Quraysh Ali Lansana | Skip Hill | The Calliope Group Ltd | February 2, 2021 | PB | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
3. Up from the Ashes
Hannibal Johnson | Clay Portis | Eakin Press | November 1, 1999 | MG | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
4. Across the Tracks: Remembering the Tulsa Race Massacre and Black Wall Street
Alverne Ball | Stacey Robinson | Harry N. Abrams | May 4, 2021 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
5. Angel of Greenwood
Randi Pink | Feiwel & Friends | January 12, 2021 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
6. Black Birds in the Sky: The Story and Legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre
Brandy Colbert | Balzer + Bray | October 5, 2021 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
7. The Burning (Young Readers Edition): Black Wall Street and the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921
Hilary Beard (Adapter) | Tim Madigan | Henry Holt and Co. BYR | May 11, 2021 | YA | Amazon | Bookshop | IndieBound
If you believe BCBA provides a valuable service, please take a few minutes to donate and support our mission to promote awareness of children’s and young adult literature by Black authors.
Amazon/Bookshop/IndieBound Disclosure: BCBA is a participant in the Amazon, Bookshop, and IndieBound Affiliate Programs. The affiliate programs offer participants the opportunity to earn fees by linking to Amazon, Bookshop, and IndieBound websites. Clicking on the book links will direct you away from this site. Thanks for your support!
