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Curriculum Resources - Books About Greenwood

View & purchase books about the Historic Greenwood District

Images of America

Images of America:  Tulsa's Historic Greenwood District

Author:  Hannibal B. Johnson  Copyright:  January 27, 2014

Johnson traces historical relations between African Americans and Native Americans, particularly in Oklahoma, “Indian Country.” He examines some of the legal, political, economic, social, and moral isThrough context-setting text and scores of captioned photographs, Images of America: Tulsa’s Historic Greenwood District provides a basic foundation for those interested in the history of Tulsa, its African American community, and race relations in the modern era. The Tulsa experience is, in many ways, emblematic of others throughout the country.

Particularly for students, the book can be an entry point into what is a fascinating piece of American history and a gateway to discoveries about race, interpersonal relations, and shared humanity.

Available for purchase at www.arcadiapublishing.com

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Reporting: The Tulsa Riot: 1921

Author:  Thomas Streissguth (Editor)  Copyright:  January 1, 2018

An absorbing, in-depth collection of contemporary articles on the 1921 Tulsa riots, the deadliest civil disturbance in the nation's history.  Articles are gleaned from local and national publications, reprinted in full, and set out in chronological order for the use of students, educators, and historians in search of primary source material. 

Available for purchase at www.amazon.com (or on reserve at Tulsa City-County Library after October 2019)

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Black Wall Street, from Riot Renaissance in Tulsa’s Historic Greenwood District

Author:  Hannibal B. Johnson Copyright: 1998

ISBN-13: 9781571682215

Early in the twentieth century, the black community in Tulsa- the "Greenwood District"- became a nationally renowned entrepreneurial center. Frequently referred to as "The Black Wall Street of America," the Greenwood District attracted pioneers from all over America who sought new opportunities and fresh challenges. Legal segregation forced blacks to do business among themselves. The Greenwood district prospered as dollars circulated within the black community. But fear and jealousy swelled in the greater Tulsa community. The alleged assault of a white woman by a black man triggered unprecedented civil unrest. The worst riot in American history, the Tulsa Race Riot pf 1921 destroyed people, property, hopes, and dreams. Hundreds of people died or were injured. Property damage ran into the millions. The Greenwood District burned to the ground. Ever courageous, the Greenwood District pioneers rebuilt and better than ever. By 1942, some 242 businesses called the Greenwood district home. Having experienced decline in the '60s, '70s, and early '80s, the area is now poised for yet another renaissance. Black Wall Street speaks to the triumph of the human spirit.

Available for purchase on Amazon

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Events of the Tulsa Disaster (An Eye-Witness Account of the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot as Published in 1923)

Author:  Parrish, Mary E. Jones  Copyright: : 1923

An eye-witness account of the 1921 Tulsa Race Riot by Mrs. Mary E. Jones Parrish as published in 1923. A limited edition (2009) in red boards with a fold out photo of the Greenwood area after the riot. Parrish took down the oral statements of participants who were eye witnesses to the atrocities of those June days in 1921.

Available for purchase at the John Hope Franklin Center Office

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Fire on Mount Zion, My Life and History as a Black Woman in America

Author:  Mabel B. Little with Nathan Hare and Julia Hare  Copyright: 1990

Editors:  Nathan Hare, Ph.D. and Julia Hare, Ed.D.

ISBN-0-9613086-1-4

Born in Spring, Texas, October 4, 1896, to the all-black town of Boley, Oklahoma and on into the big city of Tulsa, Oklahoma.   With her hopes and dreams of earning enough money to attend Langston University and become a teacher.  But in 1921, she becomes a survivor of the 1921 Tulsa Massacre.  Mrs. Little’s life can be one of hope, inspiration, endurance and courage for all to emulate; the young, the not so young, and all with strong values.  In a world where significance of history is increasingly diminished her clear voice is a welcomed improvement over the noise of the crowd.

Available for purchase at the John Hope Franklin Center Office

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IncogNegro: Poetic Reflections on Race & Diversity in America 

Author: Hannibal B. Johnson Copyright:  February 2008

ISBN-13: 978-1604746969

ISBN-10: 1604746963

One of the ways that we may come to understand and appreciate diversity is to listen to the narratives others have to tell about their personal journeys. These tales shape our lives. IncogNegro recounts, poetically, familiar struggles with race and diversity. Listen. Listening breeds empathy, evokes compassion and moves us a step closer to walking the proverbial mile in someone else’s shoes. Everything begins with that first step. Ultimately, like actors on the world stage, each of us has some role, however small, to play in fostering an accepting, inclusive and diverse community.

Available for purchase on Amazon

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Miz Lucy’s Cookies: And Other Links in my Black Family Support System

Author: Eddie Faye Gates Copyright: 1996

ISBN-10: 0962429791

ISBN-13: 978-0962429798

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My Life and An Era: The Autobiography of Buck Colbert Franklin

Author: Buck Colbert Franklin Copyright: 1997

Co-Editors:  John Hope Franklin and John Whittington Franklin

ISBN-10: 0807125997

ISBN-13: 9780807125991

Buck Colbert Franklin (1879–1960) led an extraordinary life; from his youth in what was then the Indian Territory to his practice of law in twentieth-century Tulsa, he was an observant witness to the changes in politics, law, daily existence, and race relations that transformed the wide-open Southwest. Fascinating in its depiction of an intelligent young man's coming of age in the days of the Land Rush and the closing of the frontier, My Life and an Era is equally important for its reporting of the triracial culture of early Oklahoma.

Available for purchase on Amazon

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Soaring On The Wings Of A Dream: The Untold Story of America's First Black Astronaut Candidate 

Author: John Hope Franklin and John Whittington Franklin Copyright:  2009

ISBN-10: 0883783053

ISBN-13: 978-0883783054

Ed Dwight's story is truly one of inspiration. Born at the height of the depression, Dwight takes us from his upbringing through his journey on becoming America's first African American astronaut candidate. He navigates his way through the racially charged astronaut program, onto becoming one of America's most prolific sculptors of our time.

Available for purchase at:

John Hope Franklin Center Office

Amazon

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Up from the Ashes

Author: Hannibal Johnson  Copyright: November 1, 1999

ISBN-10: 1940130433

ISBN-13: 978-1940130439

UP FROM THE ASHES tells the story of the development, destruction, and rebuilding of a dynamic neighborhood from a child's perspective. Based on actual historical events, during the Tulsa, Oklahoma, race riots in 1921, it is a positive, life-affirming book. Readers will discover what it means to be part of a community, with all its ups and downs. The book demonstrates many of the timeless virtues we all cherish, not just for ourselves, but for our children: faith, determination, integrity, humility, and compassion.

Available for purchase on Amazon

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Watching Our Crops Come In

Author: Clifton L. Taulbert  Copyright: February 1, 1997

ISBN-10: 0670859524

ISBN-13: 978-0670859528

Reflecting on growing up in the segregated South, the author of When We Were Colored points out the values of Nurturing, Attitude, Dependability, Responsibility, Friendship, Brotherhood, High Expectations, Courage, and Hope that build strong communities, which, in turn, build strong individuals. 25,000 first printing.

Available for purchase at:

Greenwood Cultural Center

Amazon

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