Title: Black Birds in the Sky: The Story and Legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre
Author: Brandy Colbert
ISBN: 9780063056664
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Copyright Date: 2021
Genre: Nonfiction
Format: Novel
Reading Level/Interest Level: Grades 7-12
Awards or Honors
YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award Finalist (2022)
Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Plot Summary
Tulsa, Oklahoma. May 31st - June 1st, 1921. Before the sun had even risen in the early morning of June 1st, an angry white mob had gathered outside the police station where Dick Rowland, a Black man, was being held, having been falsely accused of assaulting a white woman. Chaos broke out when the mob struck, attacking the stretch of thriving businesses on Greenwood Avenue known as Black Wall Street, looting, burning, and blowing up over 35 blocks of land and killing hundreds. In the aftermath of the attack, families were separated, businesses were unable to reopen, and the Black community in Tulsa was left reeling. Despite the enormity of this act of violence, the Tulsa Race Massacre was conveniently left out of history books as officials tried to erase what happened.
Tensions had begun long before the massacre on June 1st, though. Starting with the Civil War and the emancipation of enslaved Black people, white citizens were threatened by the rights that Black folks gained, as well as the prosperity that Black business owners built over the years. Lynchings all over the state of Oklahoma had run rampant, as well as threats and violence from white supremacist groups, including the KKK. Newspaper articles were published that enflamed these incidents, and one particular headline played a large role in inciting the massacre in Tulsa. A historic event that is not taught in schools, this book uncovers the true history of the state of Oklahoma and the violence against Black people that reached a boiling point on June 1st, 1921, and still persists to this day.
Author Background
A current resident of Los Angeles, CA, author Brandy Colbert grew up in Springfield, Missouri. She has written a number of fiction and nonfiction novels for children and young adults, including The Only Black Girls in Town as well as Little & Lion, which won a Stonewall Book Award (Colbert, n.d). Many of her short stories and essays have been published in anthologies for young adults, and she has had multiple works published in the New York Times. Brandy currently works as a faculty member at Hamline University.
Critical Evaluation
Black Birds in the Sky will banish anyone’s thought that nonfiction is akin to reading a history textbook. There is such a high level of care and attention to detail in this book, from the history of the Native tribes that originally lived on the land, to the profiles of a number of Black leaders in the Greenwood community, as well as the aftermath of the massacre and how it has shaped events today. Brandy’s writing is clear and detailed, with photos and quotes to emphasize the events covered in the novel. Her passion for history and dedication to outlining each and every story surrounding this event are apparent in her writing.
The organization of the novel is also unique but effective: she begins the narrative with events that occurred two days day before the massacre, then goes back in time to describe the history of the state for the next three chapters. Again, she breaks into the history of Oklahoma to describe the events of May 31st, then describes Greenwood and the history of local newspapers, before resuming the tale of the massacre. While it might sound confusing, the way Brandy interweaves the past with the events in 1921 creates a rich story of what life was like at the time and the trials and tribulations Black people endured in Oklahoma.
She ends the novel with an afterword discussing the similarities of the COVID-19 pandemic to the 1918 influenza and the disproportionate effect both had on communities of color. Brandy goes on to explain the murder of George Floyd, the subsequent nationwide protests against his death, and the stressful time that was the 2020 election. This novel really makes readers wonder if America is doomed to repeat its history, but the author does end the book in an optimistic way, encouraging readers to keep asking questions so history will no longer be buried. The way Brandy weaves multiple timelines and connects them all to the present is absolutely masterful, making this piece vital for teens looking to learn about the Tulsa Race Massacre and the effect it has had on our nation. The trauma unearthed in this book may be triggering for many young readers of color, but is vital in showing American history and what may have been left out of young adults education.
Creative Use for a Library Program
Screen the first episode of the Emmy-winning show Watchmen, which depicts the Tulsa Race Massacre in an alternate reality. This show is incredibly compelling, so you may want to plan to watch the whole season if teens are hooked!
Speed-Round Book Talk
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation
According to an article written by Brandy Colbert for the ALA’s Intellectual Freedom Blog, two of her books were “added to lists of books deemed inappropriate by legislators and parents” (Colbert, 2022) and she was asked to not speak about Black Birds in the Sky during a school visit she would be attending in Texas. Though it was unclear in this article whether or not Black Birds was one of the books that were challenged, it seemed that this book was labeled as too controversial for a high school audience. As Brandy notes in her article, how can a novel on a historical event be controversial? Removing this book from libraries would be a blatant act of censorship on a true event that has already been swept under the rug for decades. I would argue that as a novel extensively researched by a noted nonfiction writer, this work has established its authority and is vital for teens to be able to learn about this event in American history.
Reason for Inclusion
I first learned about the Tulsa Race Massacre in 2020 through an episode of the podcast My Favorite Murder. I was astounded and outraged that I had never heard of this event before, in school or otherwise. Now, over 100 years after the massacre, there are many forms of media that cover the story, from podcast episodes and Youtube videos to HBO’s Watchmen and Lovecraft Country. While it is inspiring that this history is finally being told in so many formats, the fact that so many Americans, including myself, previously had no knowledge of it is something that will stick in my mind for the rest of my life. With this book, I hope that teens are able to learn about this event much sooner in their lives than I did and be able to keep America accountable for its past.
References
Colbert, B. (2021). Black birds in the sky: the story and legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre [Cover Image]. Balzer + Bray. Retrieved from https://www.harpercollins.com/products/black-birds-in-the-sky-brandy-colbert?variant=33051655340066
Colbert, B. (2022, April 1). A note from Brandy Colbert. The Office for Intellectual Freedom of the American Library Association. https://www.oif.ala.org/oif/a-note-from-brandy-colbert/
Herald, S. (2020). Residents of Tulsa, Oklahoma look at the “Black Wall Street Memorial” while celebrating Juneteenth in the Greenwood district of Tulsa, the site of the 1921 race massacre, on June 19, 2020 [Photograph]. AFP/Getty Images. Retrieved from https://www.yesmagazine.org/opinion/2021/05/31/tulsa-race-massacre-anniversary-100-years
Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. (n.d.). North Greenwood Avenue in Tulsa (above), prior to the 1921 Tulsa race massacre [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.history.com/news/tulsa-massacre-black-wall-street-before-and-after-photos
Tulsa Historical Society and Museum. (1921). A huge plume of smoke covering the Greenwood District during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre [Photograph].
Tulsa Historical Society and Museum. (1922).
An area of the Greenwood District following the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre [Photograph].
Weinburg, J. (n.d.). Brandy Colbert [Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.brandycolbert.com/
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