Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre

Carole Boston Weatherford

Hardcover

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Winner:Coretta Scott King Award -Author (2022)

Winner:Coretta Scott King Award -Illustrator (2022)

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

Book Details

Publisher: Carolrhoda Books (R)
Publish Date: Feb 2nd, 2021
Pages: 32
Language: English
Edition: undefined - undefined
Dimensions: 11.00in - 9.40in - 0.30in - 0.98lb
EAN: 9781541581203
Recommended age: 08-12
Categories: • History - United States - State & Local• Social Topics - Prejudice & Racism• Social Topics - Violence

About the Author

Cooper, Floyd: - Floyd Cooper (1956-2021) was a Coretta Scott King Award winner and illustrator of numerous books for children including Ruth and the Green Book, A Spy Called James, and Max and the Tag-Along Moon. Unspeakable, one of his final picture books, was a National Book Award longlist title, a Sibert Honor book, and a Caldecott Honor book. He received a degree in fine arts from the University of Oklahoma and went on to develop a distinctive art technique called oil erasure.

Weatherford, Carole Boston: - Carole Boston Weatherford is the author of numerous award-winning books. Her picture book BOX: Henry Brown Mails Himself to Freedom, illustrated by Michele Wood received a Newbery Honor. Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre, illustrated by the late Floyd Cooper, was a National Book Award longlist title, won the Coretta Scott King Award for author and illustrator, and received a Caldecott Honor and a Sibert Honor. She is dedicated to writing poetry for children and is the 2025 and 2026 Young People's Poet Laureate. When she's not traveling or visiting museums, Carole is mining the past for family stories, fading traditions, and forgotten struggles. She lives in North Carolina.

Praise for this book

"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)