Celebrated author Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrator Floyd Cooper provide a powerful look at the Tulsa Race Massacre, one of the worst incidents of racial violence in our nation’s history. The book traces the history of African Americans in Tulsa’s Greenwood district and chronicles the devastation that occurred in 1921 when a white mob attacked the Black community.
News of what happened was largely suppressed, and no official investigation occurred for seventy-five years. This picture book sensitively introduces young readers to this tragedy and concludes with a call for a better future.
Carole Boston Weatherford is the author of numerous award-winning books including BOX: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom, illustrated by Michele Wood which received a Newbery Honor and R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, illustrated by Frank Morrison which won the 2021 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Book Award. When she’s not traveling or visiting museums, Carole is mining the past for family stories, fading traditions, and forgotten struggles. She lives in North Carolina.
Read Aloud Tips
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Preface the book by teaching lessons and holding discussions for students to learn more about the Tulsa Race Massacre and other events alike in America’s history. Possible topics include slavery, the underground railroad, the civil war, or segregation.
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In the event students may have not been introduced to this event, clearly define the event and avoid conflating related issues.
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As content of this matter can be triggering for some students, provide students with an area where they can take a break or regroup after reading.
“Without glossing over important facts, Weatherford (Dreams for a Daughter) tells the historical events of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre in language appropriate for young readers.” – Publisher’s Weekly