Who Was?: What Was the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921?

Ages 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7

Learn how envy and racism led to the tragic destruction of the thriving Black community in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in this new Who HQ for young readers.

Before May 31, 1921, the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was a thriving neighborhood of 10,000 Black residents. There, Black families found success and community. They ran their own businesses, including barbershops, clothing stores, jewelers, restaurants, movie theatres, and more. There also were Black doctors, dentists, and lawyers to serve the neighborhood. Then, in one weekend, all of this was lost. A racist mob tore through the streets, burning everything to the ground and killing scores of innocent residents. Learn about what led to one of the worst moments of racial violence in America's history in this nonfiction book for young readers. 

Series Overview: A natural expansion of the exceptional Who Was? series, What Was? focuses on compelling historical events, great battles, protests, and discoveries.

About the Author

Caleb Gayle is an award-winning journalist and historian who writes about race and identity. His writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, The Guardian, Guernica, and other publications. Gayle has an adult trade book with Riverhead called We Refuse To Forget: A True Story of Black Creeks, American Identity, and Power that will debut in 2022.

Author Residence: Boston