Black Birds in the Sky: The Story and Legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre

Brandy Colbert examines the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and the conditions that preceded it. The book begins with Oklahoma’s settlement history and racism in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century America, then considers the growth of Tulsa’s Black Greenwood neighborhood and white resentment toward it. It recounts the events of May 31 and June 1, including the accusation against a young Black man, the threat of lynching, and violence that destroyed Greenwood, killed hundreds of African Americans, and left thousands without homes.