A searing new work of nonfiction from award-winning author Brandy Colbert about the history and legacy of one of the most deadly and destructive acts of racial violence in American history: the Tulsa Race Massacre. YALSA Honor Award for Excellence in Nonfiction In the early morning of June 1, 1921, a white mob marched across the train tracks in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and into its predominantly Black Greenwood District -- a thriving, affluent neighborhood known as America's Black Wall Street. They brought with them firearms, gasoline, and explosives. In a few short hours, they'd razed thirty-five square blocks to the ground, leaving hundreds dead. The Tulsa Race Massacre is one of the most devastating acts of racial violence in US history. But how did it come to pass? What exactly happened? And why are the events unknown to so many of us today? These are the questions that award-winning author Brandy Colbert seeks to answer in this unflinching nonfiction account of the Tulsa Race Massacre. In examining the tension that was brought to a boil by many factors -- white resentment of Black economic and political advancement, the resurgence of white supremacist groups, the tone and perspective of the media, and more -- a portrait is drawn of an event singular in its devastation, but not in its kind. It is part of a legacy of white violence that can be traced from our country's earliest days through Reconstruction, the Civil Rights movement in the mid-twentieth century, and the fight for justice and accountability Black Americans still face today. The Tulsa Race Massacre has long failed to fit into the story Americans like to tell themselves about the history of their country. This book, ambitious and intimate in turn, explores the ways in which the story of the Tulsa Race Massacre is the story of America -- and by showing us who we are, points to a way forward. "Colbert writes confidently about the truth of American history that has been long omitted from textbooks and conversations...Necessary reading for any student of history." -- Booklist (starred review) "Excellent nonfiction book, a welcome contribution to the growing literature about this tragedy." -- Horn Book "This sophisticated volume makes clear that the destruction of Black property and lives in the Tulsa Race Massacre was not an isolated incident. The clear, readable prose supports...a compelling recounting that invites and encourages readers to grapple with difficult history." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) BRANDY COLBERT is the critically acclaimed author of several novels, whose Pointe won the 2014 Cybils Award for young adult fiction and was named a best book of 2014 by Publishers Weekly , BookRiot , and more. Her Little & Lion was a Junior Library Guild and a Book of the Month Club selection. She was chosen as a Publishers Weekly Flying Start author for spring 2014. She was born and raised in Springfield, Missouri, and earned a bachelors degree in journalism from Missouri State University. She works as a copy editor for magazines and books.