Africa and the African Diaspora, For Teachers
Books and Digital Resources for Learning About the Tulsa Race Massacre
“History can only teach its lesson if it is remembered.”
― Jason Reynolds, All American Boys
It's been 100 years since the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, where as many as 300 Black Americans were killed, 10,000 were left homeless including many children, and a thriving business district was destroyed. In his novel All American Boys, Jason Reynolds states, “History can only teach its lesson if it is remembered,” but what if the history was never taught or talked about?
Many Americans don't know about the Tulsa Race Massacre or are just learning about it a century later. As we commemorate the 100th anniversary of this tragic event, we must educate ourselves and young people. Below are some resources to help students of varying ages learn and understand this history through picture books, nonfiction texts, engaging high-interest titles, and some of our many wonderful databases.
Titles for the Classroom
Introducing different texts and materials into the classroom may help students digest and understand topics more easily. As we know, there are many different ways to learn and understand new information, and we want to be able to meet and support students where they are. For middle and high school educators, incorporating picture books can help students and bring a more lively conversation. In these discussions, talking about art could entice students to participate more. Even just seeing illustrations and photographs will help them visually understand and make the 1921 events in Tulsa more real and tangible.
For Children
Opal's Greenwood Oasis by Najah-Amatullah Hylton and Quraysh Ali Lansana and illustrated by Skip Hill
The year is 1921, and Opal Brown would like to show you around her beautiful neighborhood of Greenwood in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Filled with busy stores and happy families, Opal also wants you to know that "everyone looks like me."In both words and illustrations, this carefully researched and historically accurate book allows children to experience the joys and success of Greenwood, one of the most prosperous Black communities of the early 20th Century, an area Booker T.Washington dubbed America's Black Wall Street. Soon after the day narrated by Opal, Greenwood would be lost in the Tulsa Race Massacre, the worst act of racial violence in American history. Through this book, children have the opportunity to learn and celebrate all that was built in Greenwood.
The Tulsa Race Massacre by Kara L. Laughlin
A brief introduction into the violent Tulsa Race Massacre that occurred on May 31-June 1 1921. Additional features include detailed captions and sidebars, critical-thinking questions, a phonetic glossary, an index, and sources for further research.
Unspeakable : The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Floyd Cooper (e-book version)
Celebrated author Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrator Floyd Cooper provide a powerful look at the 1921 Tulsa race massacre, one of the worst incidents of racial violence in our nation's history.
For Young Adults
Across the Tracks: Remembering Greenwood, Black Wall Street, and the Tulsa Race Massacre by Alverne Ball and illustrated by Stacey Robinson
Across the Tracks introduces the reader to the businesses and townsfolk who flourished in this unprecedented time of prosperity for Black Americans. We learn about Greenwood and why it is essential to remember the great achievements of the community as well as the tragedy which nearly erased it. However, Ball is careful to recount the eventual recovery of Greenwood. With additional supplementary materials including a detailed preface, timeline, and historical essay, Across the Tracks offers a thorough examination of the rise, fall, and rebirth of Black Wall Street.
Angel of Greenwood by Randi Pink
Isaiah Wilson is, on the surface, a town troublemaker, but is hiding that he is an avid reader and secret poet, never leaving home without his journal. Angel Hill is a loner, mostly disregarded by her peers as a goody-goody. Her father is dying, and her family’s financial situation is in turmoil. Though they’ve attended the same schools, Isaiah never noticed Angel as anything but a dorky, Bible toting church girl. Then their English teacher offers them a job on her mobile library, a three-wheel, two-seater bike. Angel can’t turn down the money and Isaiah is soon eager to be in such close quarters with Angel every afternoon. But life changes on May 31, 1921 when a vicious white mob storms the Black community of Greenwood, leaving the town destroyed and thousands of residents displaced. Only then, Isaiah, Angel, and their peers realize who their real enemies are.
The Burning: Black Wall Street and the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 by Tim Madigan and adapted for young people by Hilary Beard
The Burning recreates Greenwood at the height of its prosperity, explores the currents of hatred, racism, and mistrust between its Black residents and Tulsa's White population, narrates events leading up to and including Greenwood's devastation, and documents the subsequent silence that surrounded this tragedy. Delving into history that's long been pushed aside, this is the true story of Black Wall Street and the Tulsa Race Massacre, with updates that connect the historical significance of the massacre to the ongoing struggle for racial justice in America.
For Adults
Black Wall Street: From Riot to Renaissance in Tulsa's Historic Greenwood District by Hannibal B. Johnson
Early in the twentieth century, the black community in Tulsa—the "Greenwood District"— became a nationally renowned entrepreneurial center. Frequently referred to as "The Black Wall Street of America," it attracted pioneers from all over America who sought new opportunities and fresh challenges. Legal segregation forced blacks to do business among themselves. The Greenwood district prospered as dollars circulated within the black community. But fear and jealousy swelled in the greater Tulsa community. The alleged assault of a white woman by a black man triggered unprecedented civil unrest. The worst riot in American history, the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921 destroyed people, property, hopes, and dreams. Hundreds of people died or were injured. Property damage ran into the millions. The Greenwood District burned to the ground. Ever courageous, the Greenwood District pioneers rebuilt and better than ever. By 1942, some 242 businesses called the Greenwood district home. Having experienced decline in the '60s, '70s, and early '80s, the area is now poised for yet another renaissance. Black Wall Street speaks to the triumph of the human spirit.
The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre : A Photographic History by Karlos K. Hill
A visual documentary account of the violence unleased upon the Black citizens of Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1921, using over one hundred color photos and oral history testimony.
The Nation Must Awake : Our Witness to the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 by Mary E. Jones Parrish
Mary Parrish was reading in her home when the Tulsa race massacre began on the evening of May 31, 1921. Parrish’s daughter, Florence Mary, called the young journalist and teacher to the window. “Mother,” she said, “I see men with guns.” The two eventually fled into the night under a hail of bullets and unwittingly became eyewitnesses to one of the greatest race tragedies in American history. The Nation Must Awake is Parrish’s first-person account, along with the recollections of dozens of others. With meticulous attention to detail that transports readers to those fateful days, Parrish documents the magnitude of the loss of human life and property at the hands of white vigilantes. The testimonies shine light on Black residents’ bravery and the horror of seeing their neighbors gunned down and their community lost to flames.
To Watch
Hate Crimes in the Heartland (2016)
Compares the hate crime in Tulsa Oklahoma in April of 2012 to the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot. In 1921, in a frenzy of media-enflamed hatred, a white mob rampaged through the wealthy "Negro Wall Street" district of Greenwood, destroying 35 city blocks, leaving up to 300 people dead and more than 10,000 homeless, all in one night. No one was ever arrested, tried, or convicted of any crime related to the 1921 Race Riots. This is compared to the 2012 case where two white males drove through the African-American neighborhood of Greenwood targeting blacks at random, killing three and leaving two others in critical condition. Two suspects were captured and faced the death penalty for the crime. Discusses these incidents in the context of American culture and race relations.
Watchmen, Season 1 (2020)
In an alternate history world where masked vigilantes are treated as outlaws, Detective Angela Abar investigates the reawakening of an extremist terrorist group as they plan to start a mutiny against government agencies.
The opening of the series depicts the violence that Black families faced on May 31 and June 1, 1921. The scene is extremely disturbing but brings to light, through the eyes of a child, what happened during this tragic event.
Additional Reading
NYPL Database Resources
Having students engage in further research to do on their own gives them the power to find accurate information and become lifelong learners. Introducing databases into the classroom is a great way to make sure your students know how to find trustworthy information. To access these resources students will need their library card number and four-digit PIN.
African American Experience
Full-text digital resource exploring the history and culture of African Americans, as well as the greater Black Diaspora. It’s a great resource for middle school, high school, and undergraduate users.
Here are just some of the search results to get you and your students started:
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Reference Articles
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Photos & Illustrations
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Primary sources
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Newspapers & Magazines
African American Newspapers, 1827-1998
Hundreds of U.S. newspapers chronicling a century and a half of the African American experience from more than 35 states. This database is great to introduce students to primary sources and to look deeply at newspapers—who is writing and what their perspective might be. As adults we know that newspapers tend to lean to one side or another. Having discussions after reading many articles will help students become more critical readers and learners.
Suggested keywords to use when searching this database:
- Black Wall Street
- Dick Rowland
- Greenwood
- Tulsa Massacre
- O.W. Gurley
Once students have gathered enough knowledge on a subject playing around with new keywords makes researching fun and exciting.
Sample articles:
- "Midnight Writes of the Impressions of Witnesses of the Tulsa Massacre Wife Of A Muskogee" Published in Kansas City Advocate June 10, 1921
- "75 Dead in Tulsa, Oklahoma Race Riots Martial Law Declared; Negro Quarters Fired; Hundreds Are" Published in The Bellingham Herald June 1, 1921
African American Periodicals, 1825-1995
Searchable full-text and page images of over 170 periodicals, published in 26 states, by and about African Americans. Includes academic and political journals, commercial magazines, institutional newsletters, organizations' bulletins, and annual reports.
Begin with the search phrase "Tulsa Race Riot" as the event was commonly referred to back then. Talk with students about how, over time, our understanding and naming of events may change.
Biography in Context
Provides biographical information on 650,000+ people from throughout history, around the world, and across all disciplines.
Have students search for key players such as:
- Booker T. Washington and W.E.B Dubois. These two men were influential for the founders of Greenwood, and in 1913 Booker T. Washington High school was built and remarkably escaped destruction from the massacre. Booker T. Washington originally dubbed Greenwood as "Negro Wall Street" or "Black Wall Street."
- J.B. Stradford
- O.W. Gurley
- R.T. Bridgewater – Tulsa’s first African American physician
- Thomas R. Gentry –Tulsa’s first African American real estate mogul
- Dr. J. Littlejohn – Tulsa’s first African American dentist
- Reverend C.L. Netherland – A Baptist minister who owned one of the first barbershops in Tulsa
- Dr. Andrew C. Jackson – Ranked one of the best physicians, studied at the Mayo clinic and served both Black and white residents
- Hal Singer – survivor of the massacre and a well known jazz saxophonist, who went by the name Cornbread, which was also the name his first well known instrumental.
*Not all of these people will not be found in Biography in Context but this is a good jumping off point for students to learn how to search for people using a database.
U.S. History in Context
Coverage of the most-studied U.S. history topics including from the arrival of Vikings in North America, American Revolution, Civil Rights movement, 9/11, and the War on Terror through a web-like experience that supports the development of critical thinking and information literacy skills. Noted for access to primary source documents.
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American Terror: Confronting The Murderous Attack on the most Prosperous Black Community in the Nation. by Tim Madigan. Smithsonian, vol. 52, no. 1, Apr. 2021
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Survivors Of 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Share Eyewitness Accounts. All Things Considered, 19 May 2021
Gale Databases like Biography In Context and U.S. History in Context are really wonderful resources. Students can use the ‘Cite Tool’ for research papers, a translation tool offered in many languages, which translates the entire article. Students can change the font size of the article and articles can also be read aloud. For educator purposes, lexile levels are also available.
Important Tips
Treat research as a scientific experiment. Trial and error will definitely come into play, and we must help students learn how to navigate searching. If a search isn't successful the first time, try searching in a different way.
While researching these databases, I found that using the phrase "Tulsa Massacre" did not always end up with results because, in the years following the event, it was referred to as the "Tulsa Race Riots." This is another essential conversation to have with students—the difference between a "massacre" and "riot" and what forces shape the labeling of historical events.
External Resources
1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission
The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission leverages the rich history surrounding the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre by facilitating actions, activities, and events that commemorate and educate all citizens.
National Museum of African American History and Culture
The National Museum of African American History and Culture is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture.
History.com
A great resource to introduce to students. It even has a page for educators.
The Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, newspapers, maps and manuscripts in its collections.
Oklahoma History Society
The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve, and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people.
PBS
A great resource for videos. Some are available to watch for free; others you must be a member to view.
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THIRTEEN and PBS have curated free, standards-aligned videos, interactives, lesson plans, and more just for New York teachers like you.
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Read blogs written by educators.
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Book summaries provided via NYPL’s catalog, which draws from multiple sources. Click through to each book’s title for more.
Read E-Books with SimplyE
With your library card, it's easier than ever to choose from more than 300,000 e-books on SimplyE, The New York Public Library's free e-reader app. Gain access to digital resources for all ages, including e-books, audiobooks, databases, and more.
If you don’t have an NYPL library card, New York State residents can apply for a digital card online or through SimplyE (available on the App Store or Google Play).
Need more help? Read our guide to using SimplyE.