Black Birds in the Sky: The Story and Legacy of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre

 

My Thoughts:

This journalistic non fiction book, heavily researched and humanized for YA researchers is a piece of American history that has taken 100 years to come to light. Not only is it sad that a community thousands of miles away in another state (Hawai'i) is hearing this American history story for the first time, but based on the silencing of even higher education departments in  Oklahoma, following the 1921 event, this story might have quietly slipped out of the consciousness of Oklahoma residents. 

There is hope that in 2020, some work has been done to unearth mass graves in Tulsa to try and bring closure for families of victims, however it has taken 100 years to even start uncovering truth and trauma. It is now time to acknowledge the massacre in the Greenwood district as well as in the city of Tulsa, but before that happens, the many "why" questions need to be asked in order to combat historic erasure. That work needs to happen before any kind of healing can happen. Colbert's work is one weapon in combatting erasure and forcing legislative advocacy that is necessary to change policy and promote healing, not just for black Americans, but also the original Natives displaced from their homelands and forced into Oklahoma.  If we are beginning to ask questions and do some radical self assessment as a  country, then we need to tell the whole truth, including, like Colbert, going back before the incident in order to continue to ask questions on why the community, and this country made it possible for such an atrocity to happen as well as to bring to the forefront the continued trauma happening now. 

For teachers - this is the kind of resource that we need to have in our classrooms to show the power of research as storytelling. As a model text, this book is a discussion starter, perfect for philosophical questioning and discussion. Add it to your repertoire. 

From the author's note:

Black American history is beautiful and horrific, full of progress and setbacks that have defined the story of the United States since its founding. But no matter how it looks, everyone deserves to know the truth about the past and how it informs the present. - Brandy Colbert

From the Publisher:

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.

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.

Feast Your Eyes on Food (Nonfiction Picture Book)

 

Publication date: October 26, 2021

Author: Laura Gladwin

Illustrator: Zoe Barker

My Thoughts:

This graphic encyclopedia is illustration centric with just enough text and information to invite readers to skim and scan then go and find out more. The illustrations, like the cover are clean, detailed and a sensory feast. The art is the key to, as they say in the introduction to this book, feed more than just our bodies, but to use food to also bring us joy, as well as bring the world to our lips. Finally, this book is highlighted here because not only does it diversify the kinds of books students can pick up and read in your classroom, but it also hits all of the crucial characteristics of a well designed nonfiction picture book.

Crucial Characteristics of NonFiction Picture Books:

• Visual appeal - illustrations should be both  appealing and accurate
• Accurate and authoritative information - this book has a glossary, further reading references and a section on 10 ways to eat some of the foods.
• Engagingly written - the text in the book focuses on the amount of illustrations but the text is separated like a museum card where the text gives enough information in a couple of sentences. For example, for macadamia nuts, in the first sentence I find that they are natives of Australia and have been grown widely in Hawaii since the late 19th century. The second sentence gives some physical characteristics of the macadamia nut. 

Regarding the macadamia nut, a food that I am very familiar with and something that I have often brought with me as little gifts when traveling around the world, that first sentence about the nut being a native to Australia would have clued me in on bringing Kona coffee instead of macadamia nuts when I presented at a conference in Australia. Now I know and I did not have to read a whole books on Australia or on macadamia nuts. 

Be Water, My Friend

 

My Thoughts:

This self-help text is simple enough for middle readers and complex enough to offer nuggets of truth even for adults. There are original citations from Bruce Lee, and then his daughter, Shannon Lee puts it in context and explains some of the more Zen like concepts. 

I wrote a few quotes down to marinate on and let things stew, but this one is really speaking to me and my work right now:

Remember, I am no teacher; I can merely be a signpost for a traveler who is lost. It is up to you to decide on the direction. All I can offer is an experience but never a conclusion, so even what I have said needs to be thoroughly examined by you. I might be able to help you to discover and examine your problem by awakening your awareness. A teacher, a good teacher that is, functions as a pointer to truth but not a giver of truth. - Bruce Lee

From the Publisher:

Bruce Lee’s daughter illuminates her father’s most powerful life philosophies—demonstrating how martial arts are a perfect metaphor for personal growth, and how we can practice those teachings every day.

"Empty your mind; be formless, shapeless like water."

Bruce Lee is a cultural icon, renowned the world over for his martial arts and film legacy. But Lee was also a deeply philosophical thinker, learning at an early age that martial arts are more than just an exercise in physical discipline—they are an apt metaphor for living a fully realized life.

Now, in Be Water, My Friend, Lee’s daughter Shannon shares the concepts at the core of his philosophies, showing how they can serve as tools of personal growth and self-actualization. Each chapter brings a lesson from Bruce Lee’s teachings, expanding on the foundation of his iconic “be water” philosophy. Over the course of the book, we discover how being like water allows us to embody fluidity and naturalness in life, bringing us closer to our essential flowing nature and our ability to be powerful, self-expressed, and free.

Through previously untold stories from her father’s life and from her own journey in embodying these lessons, Shannon presents these philosophies in tangible, accessible ways. With Bruce Lee’s words as a guide, she encourages readers to pursue their essential selves and apply these ideas and practices to their everyday lives—whether in learning new things, overcoming obstacles, or ultimately finding their true path.

Be Water, My Friend is an inspirational invitation to us all, a gentle call to action to consider our lives with new eyes. It is also a testament to how one man's exploration and determination transcended time and place to ignite our imaginations—and to inspire many around the world to transform their lives. 

Glory In Their Spirit

Glory in Their Spirit is the well researched account of 4 female African American WAC (Women Army Corps) privates who defied orders and walked off the job as a way to protest what they saw as racist working conditions. These women were promised an opportunity in the Army to be trained in and receive skilled positions, but they found themselves relegated to the heavy lifting and menial scrubbing tasks of orderlies while the white WACs were given opportunities to train for the more skilled positions in the Army hospital. 

The four women, along with 50 other WACs were arrested, but these four women chose court martial over returning to the menial positions. This is 1945 and before the height of the civil rights movement, so there is no real happy ending, however, it traces the pattern of institutional racism that is still prevalent in our institutions today. 

This book is not for the classroom, except as a resource, but I think if the women's voices through correspondence home or interviews could have been included (like a multi genre piece), this story would catch the interest of the middle level reader. 

A digital copy of this book was provided by Net Galley and the publisher for an honest review.