The Burning

May 1, 2021
Grades 6-10 *Starred Review* Genocide, a pogrom, or the largest act of homegrown terrorism in U.S. history? This young readers edition of Madigan's The Burning uses all three terms to describe the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. To help readers understand how something this atrocious could happen, the author first explains the rise of white supremacy and its terror tactics during Reconstruction. Amidst this constant oppression, there was one bright spot, the Greenwood district of Tulsa, Oklahoma, also known as Black Wall Street because of the area's prosperous Black community. Embedded with numerous eyewitness accounts, the narrative recounts the racist events that led up to the massacre and many of the horrific tales of murder, looting, and burning that resulted in the destruction of Greenwood and the deaths of hundreds of its residents. Because the original text, published in 2001, had a predominantly white focus, adaptor Beard integrates here more perspectives of Black Tulsans who bravely fought for their community. But how could something this devastating be lost to history for decades? The text shows how systemic racism covered up the massacre and how a move for reparations began to uncover it. In this revised edition, Beard also concludes with a new section that relates the Tulsa massacre to more recent racial injustices and the BLM movement. Eye-opening and unforgettable.

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