Remembering the Tulsa Race Massacre: Book List & Resources
May 31, 1921 marks one of the darkest days in American history. On this day, white mobs rioted in the prosperous Black neighborhood of Greenwood (also known as “Black Wall Street”) in Tulsa, Oklahoma in retaliation for an unconfirmed assault between a Black teenage shoe shiner and a white female elevator operator. Lasting for two days, this racial violence resulted in the destruction of more than 14,000 homes, leaving nearly 10,000 people homeless. Official accounts put the death toll at 36, though many historians speculate that it could have been as high as 300.
To read more about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, check out these sources used in the writing of this post:
- Tulsa Race Massacre — HISTORY
- Tulsa race massacre of 1921 — Britannica
To honor those who lost their lives or their livelihoods, we’ve compiled the below list of books that focus on the Tulsa Race Massacre, as well as a list of resources for those who’d like to learn more.
Children and Young Adult Titles
Across the Tracks: Remembering Greenwood, Black Wall Street, and the Tulsa Race Massacre, by Alverne Ball and Stacey Robinson. ISBN 9781250821294. Hardcover $15.99 (ABRAMS / Abrams ComicArts, 2021).
Angel of Greenwood, by Randi Pink. ISBN 9781250768476. Hardcover $18.99 (Macmillan / Feiwel & Friends, 2021).
Black Birds in the Sky, by Brandy Colbert. ISBN 9780063056664. Hardcover $19.99 (HarperCollins / Balzer + Bray, 2021).
The Burning (Young Readers Edition), by Tim Madigan. Adapted by Hilary Beard. ISBN 9781250787699. Hardcover $19.99 (Macmillan / Henry Holt and Co., 2021).
Dreamland Burning, by Jennifer Latham. ISBN 9780316384902. Trade Paperback $11.99 (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2021).
Lena and the Burning of Greenwood, by Nikki Shannon Smith. Illus. by Markia Jenai and Markia Ware. ISBN 9781663990563. Hardcover $19.99 (Capstone / Stone Arch Books, 2022).
The Tulsa Race Massacre, by Kara L. Laughlin. ISBN 9781503853713. Library Binding $21.95 (The Child’s World Inc., 2021).
Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre, by Carole Boston Weatherford. Illus. by Floyd Cooper. ISBN 9781541581203. Hardcover $13.49 (Lerner Publishing Group / Carolrhonda Books, 2021).
What Was the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921?, by Caleb Gayle and Who HQ. Illus. by Tim Foley. ISBN 9780593521700. Paperback $7.99 (Penguin Random House / Penguin Workshop, 2023).
Adult Titles
The Burning: The Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, by Tim Madigan. ISBN 9780312302474. Paperback $17.99 (Macmillan / St. Martin’s Griffin, 2003).
Death in a Promised Land: The Tulsa Race Riot of 1921, by Scott Ellsworth. Foreword by John Hope Franklin. ISBN 9780807117675. Paperback $18.95 (LSU Press, 1992).
Riot and Remembrance: America’s Worst Race Riot and Its Legacy, by James S. Hirsch. ISBN 9780618340767. Paperback $16.99 (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt / Mariner Books, 2003).
Tulsa, 1921: Reporting a Massacre, by Randy Krehbiel, Foreword by Karlos K. Hill. ISBN 9780806168715. Paperback $21.95 (University of Oklahoma Press, 2021).
Resources:
- CBC interactive Inclusivity List: Tulsa Race Massacre
- New York Public Library: Books and Digital Resources for Learning About the Tulsa Race Massacre
- Zinn Education Project: Teaching the Tulsa Massacre
- National Underground Railroad Freedom Center: Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921
- C-SPAN Classroom: Lesson Plan: The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre
- Tulsa Public Schools: INQUIRY-DRIVEN LESSON PLANS AND RESOURCES ON THE TULSA RACE MASSACRE
- Learning for Justice: TEACHING LOCAL HISTORY IN TULSA
- School Library Journal: Learning from the Unspeakable: Teaching Ideas Centered on the Tulsa Race Massacre
- New York Times: Teaching About the Tulsa Race Massacre With The New York Times
- Kiddle: Tulsa race massacre facts for kids
- PBS Learning Media: The Tulsa Race Massacre: What Happened | Tulsa: the Fire and the Forgotten
- CNN: A Final Chance For the Survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre: ‘This is it’
- Extra History: The Burning of Black Wall Street – Tulsa, OK (video)
- Seed of Melanin Kids: Black Wall Street for Kids – Tulsa Race Massacre | History for Kids (video)
