Black Birds In The Sky: The Story And Legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre

Colbert, Brandy. BLACK BIRDS IN THE SKY: THE STORY AND LEGACY OF THE 1921 TULSA RACE MASSACRE. 2021. NEW YORK: BALZER+BRAY. ISBN 9780063056664

Plot Summary:

This is the story of a community that is tragically killed because they dared to grow, thrive, and succeed in the face of adversity. The people who lived in the Greenwood District, a predominantly Black community in Tulsa, Oklahoma understood that they couldn't patronize certain establishments because of their race. These people were educated and they decided to create businesses for their own: banks, beauty salons, grocery stores, etc. But this was during segregation and despite the unjust and unfair treatment of Blacks; the people who lived in Greenwood worked hard to create and have something for themselves. Unfortunately, Whites didn't like what the people of Greenwood had and soon a misunderstanding led to the killing of hundreds of Black people.

Critical Analysis:

Brandy Colbert writes about the Tulsa Race Riots and Massacre through the lens of a historian.  Ms. Colbert takes care in doing research about an event that happened in America and has never been spoken outside of the few people who lived through it and are descendants of those killed. Black Birds in the Sky: The Story and Legacy of the 1921 Tulse Race Massacre, she writes about history from information found in archives and talking with the descendants and survivors. With this retelling of one of the many massacres that happened in the United States during Jim Crow; all going untold and unknown except by the survivors and descendants of the community in which they lived.  Ms. Colbert opens with her own experience of growing up in a community where it was uncomfortable at times because she and her parents were one of the few Black families.  She goes on to write about how Greenwood was built and the circumstances that led to a group of people coming together and deciding to establish businesses that offered the same goods and services that Whites had but Blacks were not allowed to patronize or use. Although it takes a few chapters to learn what happened in Greenwood; Ms. Colbert offers a lot of background information to lead into how and what happened there. Black Birds in the Sky..., is well-written and contains a lot of historical facts and pictures. Students will not only benefit from this book but adults also because it is written in a manner that can be understood and allow for reflection on how things have or have not changed for Black Americans.

Review Excerpt(s):

Publishers Weekly(starred)-"Colbert displays an impeccable grasp of the history of segregated Black towns and communities, such as Tulsa’s Greenwood District, and the powder keg of hatred and prejudice that would eventually condemn it. Moreover, this telling of an often-excluded story is powerful in its clarity about “the violent, genocidal foundation of this country” and its continuing effects."

Kirkus Reviews-"By weaving together many elements, this sophisticated volume makes clear that the destruction of Black property and lives in the Tulsa Race Massacre was not an isolated incident. Beginning with the author’s personal foreword and continuing throughout the detailed narrative, readers are guided to see the complex, interconnected nature of history. The clear, readable prose supports a greater understanding both of how and why incidents like the one in Tulsa happened and their exclusion from curriculum and conversations about U.S. history."

Connections:

Ask students what they know about the state of Oklahoma. Record their answers on chart paper and then read the story, Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston-Weatherford, Illustrated by Floyd Cooper.

PBS Learning Media has a collection of lessons and visuals that talk about the community of Greenwood and what happened in Tulsa, Oklahoma. https://houstonpbs.pbslearningmedia.org/search/?q=tulsa%20race%20massacre

The words found in this review are my own and have been written as part of a graduate studies class at Sam Houston State University.