Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre
Winner of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards for Author and Illustrator
A Caldecott Honor Book
A Sibert Honor Book
Longlisted for the National Book Award
A Kirkus Prize Finalist
A Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book
"A must-have"--Booklist (starred review)
In the early 1900s, Tulsa, Oklahoma, was home to a thriving African American community. The Greenwood District had its own school system, libraries, churches, restaurants, post office, movie theaters, and more. But all that would change in the course of two terrible, unspeakable days.
On May 31 and June 1, 1921, a mob of armed white Tulsans attacked Greenwood. They looted homes and businesses and burned them to the ground as Black families fled. The police did nothing to protect Greenwood, and as many as three hundred African Americans were killed. More than eight thousand were left homeless.
News of the Tulsa Race Massacre--one of the worst incidents of racial violence in US history--was largely suppressed, and no official investigation occurred for seventy-five years.
Celebrated author Carole Boston Weatherford and acclaimed illustrator Floyd Cooper provide a sensitive and powerful introduction to the Tulsa Race Massacre, helping young readers understand the events of the past so we can move toward a better future for all.
Download the free educator guide here: https: //lernerbooks.com/download/unspeakableteachingguide
Earn by promoting books
Earn money by sharing your favorite books through our Affiliate program.
Become an affiliate
"This moving account sheds light on shameful events long suppressed or ignored. All collections should consider this title's value in providing historical context to current conversations about racism and America's ongoing legacy of white supremacy."--starred, School Library Journal
-- (2/1/2021 12:00:00 AM)"Unspeakable deserves to be read by every student of American history." --starred, BookPage
-- (1/11/2021 12:00:00 AM)"[S]ucceeds in teaching the tragedy of the Tulsa Race Massacre and the legacy of Black Wall Street."--starred, Publishers Weekly
-- (1/4/2021 12:00:00 AM)"Far from romanticizing history, Weatherford is equally descriptive in explaining how a false accusation of assault brought simmering racial tensions to a violent end . . . Cooper's illustrations ('oil and erasure') are the perfect partner to this history, the sepia-toned images resembling historical photographs. The portraits of Black residents are particularly moving, seeming to break the fourth wall to implore the reader to remember their story."--starred, The Horn Book Magazine
-- (1/1/2021 12:00:00 AM)"Ideal for classroom libraries and a deeper study of American history, this title is a must-have for those seeking the painful and complete truth."--starred, Booklist
-- (12/15/2020 12:00:00 AM)"A somber, well-executed addition to the history as the incident approaches its 100th anniversary."--starred, Kirkus Reviews
-- (12/1/2020 12:00:00 AM)"These sensitively written, beautifully illustrated books restore this often-elided history while explaining the ensuing tragedy in a manner appropriate for children."--New York Times Book Review
-- (5/28/2021 12:00:00 AM)
