Across the Tracks: Remembering Greenwood, Black Wall Street, and the Tulsa Race Massacre

by Alverne Ball, Stacey Robinson (Illustrations), Reynaldo Anderson (Contributor)

One hundred years after the Tulsa Race Massacre, Across the Tracks is a celebration and memorial of Greenwood, Oklahoma

In Across the Remembering Greenwood, Black Wall Street, and the Tulsa Race Massacre, author Alverne Ball and illustrator Stacey Robinson have crafted a love letter to Greenwood, Oklahoma. Also known as Black Wall Street, Greenwood was a community whose importance is often overshadowed by the atrocious massacre that took place there in 1921.

Across the Tracks introduces the reader to the businesses and townsfolk who flourished in this unprecedented time of prosperity for Black Americans. We learn about Greenwood and why it is essential to remember the great achievements of the community as well as the tragedy which nearly erased it. However, Ball is careful to recount the eventual recovery of Greenwood. With additional supplementary materials including a detailed preface, timeline, and historical essay, Across the Tracks offers a thorough examination of the rise, fall, and rebirth of Black Wall Street.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Nonfiction, History, Comics, Historical, Middle Grade, African American

64 pages, Hardcover

Published May 4, 2021

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent primer for Black Wall Street. It introduces most of the prominent black people that made the area so successful and goes over what happened to cause the Tulsa race massacre. (Basically, the people of Greenwood went to the courthouse to prevent a mob from lynching a wrongly charged young black man and the mob went to Greenwood and started killing everyone.) It's an awful moment in our history that most Americans know nothing about. I, for one, believe we need to be aware of even the darkest moments in our history in order to prevent similar events occurring in our future.

Received a review copy from Abrams ComicArts and NetGalley

[Rod Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple but effective introduction to the atrocious massacre of hundreds of Black Americans and the razing of their neighborhood in Tulsa in 1921 because they dared to thwart a White lynch mob. We see over a decade of hard work building a community undone in less than a day. This is a shameful moment in American history that needs to be understood and remembered.

The end matter touches on the parallel history of Indigenous people in the area, briefly drawing a parallel to the events detailed in Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI.

[Raymond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gives a good brief overview of the events that occurred in Tulsa in 1921. The illustrations are beautiful. Would make a great companion book alongside The Victory of Greenwood and Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre.

[Geoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brief non-fictional graphic novel looking at the rise and destruction (and survival) of Tulsa's all-Black Greenwood neighborhood. While a bit dry it does a good job of communicating how the neighborhood was built, how it was destroyed (bombed from the air!!!!!! seriously?) and what it meant historically to the Black community in the US. Good for learning about yet another way that racial injustice has stained the USA's history.

[Cale · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate that this book does not focus on the Tulsa Massacre itself, but instead introduces the big names of Black Wall Street and the community, the people that made the area what it was, not the ones who destroyed it. I grew up 20 miles away from Greenwood and the closest I ever came to learning anything about the events were when it was called a 'Race Riot' and even then only whispers of it, not anything that was in the school curriculum. I even recognized one of the buildings from the art - a church that has since been rebuilt and I attended once or twice. The art is well done. There isn't much of a story here, just brief biographies and a small tying together of the events that led to the creation of the area. There's also a fairly heavy essay at the end that focuses on tangential issues, namely the treatment of Native Americans in the same area.
All told, this provides some much needed grounding to the events of the Tulsa Massacre, illustrating the what of the region, and only briefly focusing on the why of what happened, or the events themselves. It's something I haven't seen and a greatly appreciated piece of the event to now have.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Across the Tracks offers a welcome dose of deep backstory for the Tulsa Race Massacre, providing plenty of pages simply about Greenwood and its skilled Black inhabitants. The massacre itself and the immediate lead-up get short shrift. The art and storytelling style also work against Across the Tracks - the book looks and reads like something for eight-year-olds. I would say that maybe it is, except there's a complex, professorial essay at the end about the overlap of Indian and Black affairs in Oklahoma.

A scattered read with some good elements. There are almost certainly better books out there about the Tulsa Race Massacre.

[Jaclyn Hillis · Rating 5 out of 5]

May 31, 1921 — Do you know what happened on this day 100 years ago?

Greenwood was a flourishing Black community, and then it was all burned to the ground. The Tulsa Race Massacre is known as the single worst incident of racial violence in American history.

This book beautifully illustrates how this community came to be, and then shows how quickly that was all taken away. There was more emphasis on the remarkable people that built up the community, and less on the destruction, which I really enjoyed. It’s a short book, probably too short, but it was still very powerful. The people of Tulsa, and Black people all over the country, endured so much pain and suffering at the hands of white men, yet there was still hope for a better tomorrow.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned about a shocking and sadly neglected aspect of American history. Although I wasn't a huge fan of the illustration style, I appreciated the education this brief, but powerful, nonfiction comic provided.

[ArchaeoLibraryologist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice clear history of the development of Greenwood/Black Wall Street and the massacre and destruction that occurred there in 1921.

[Kelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first graphic novel, which was recommended by a local librarian. Not knowing what to expect, I did enjoy the quick read and the illustrations that complemented the narrative. This was a very high-level accounting of the Tulsa massacre of May, 1921. I found the narrative after the graphics most interesting as it linked racism against blacks with racism against indigenous people, a concept I had not considered.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read more graphic novel reviews at The Graphic Library.
​
This book seeks to chronicle the success that was Greenwood, Oklahoma, a portion of the city of Tulsa that was a completely segregated Black community. Several Black business owners, entrepreneurs, and real-estate investors had a vision for a community that could be sustained entirely without white businesses, and they went about creating a thriving town with grocery stores, entertainment venues, mortgage offices, banks, and just about everything else you need in a town. Because so much was offered, much of the Black community spent their money in Greenwood, rather than in Tulsa, and money was spent several times over inside Greenwood before going to white businesses. Greenwood got the nickname "Black Wall Street" from Booker T. Washington when he came on a visit. Then, a race war came to Tulsa, with claims that a young Black man touched a white woman. Residents of Greenwood armed themselves and marched on the courthouse to protect the young man. But white residents of Tulsa were also marching on the court house, and the ensuing battle resulted in the destruction of most of Greenwood, the implementation of a military state, the deputization of hundreds of armed white Tulsans, and the systematic execution of many of Greenwood's residents.

The main message of this book is to preserve the prosperity of Greenwood, rather than be a retelling of the violence that ended it. The actual massacre is only depicted over a few pages. This book spends most of its time showing the city and how this segregated town could sustain itself. While this might draw criticism, especially since the Tulsa Race Massacre is listed in the subtitle, I feel this story goes more into the celebration of Black Achievement. You hear it often around Black History Month - if you start the celebration of this month with a discussion of slavery, then you're leaning into the idea that the most important part about Black History is Black pain. Rather, this book celebrates the notion that a Black community could thrive economically and have a rich society all on its own, if actually given the opportunity to do so. Overall, my main complaint is just how short this novel is. With 64 pages, this book is more of an overview, and it could have delved more into the individual people who helped build Greenwood and make it successful.

​Robinson illustrated the people a bit cartoony, but her landscapes and cityscapes are really beautiful. This review copy was in grayscale, but the few included color pages make this something to definitely look forward to.

There is no violence shown on the page. Men hold guns, and shots are fired, but there is very little bloodshed, and most of the violent acts are told, not seen. There is nothing objectionable or difficult for middle school readers, provided they have a little bit of historical context for which to anchor this text.

Sara's Rating: 7/10
Suitability level: Grades 7-12

This review was made possible with an advanced reader copy from the publisher through Net Galley. This graphic novel will be on sale May 4, 2021.

[Sobia A Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A much needed introduction into a massacre that happened in the US. Great for those who know nothing about the Tulsa Race Massacre. The book explains more about the development and background of how Greenwood was formed; only the last few pages are devoted to the massacre itself.

The author starts the book with a timeline of the previous 90+ years of key events leading up to the massacre. The last 10 pages of the book is devoted to the "in-depth" history of the Oklahoma Territory, with its origins due to the relocation of several Indigenous peoples. This part of the book was very interesting and informative.

[Erikka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick, to the point, and heartbreaking. Greenwood was everything a bustling city should be, until racism reared it’s ugly head and decided that Black people shouldn’t be free or own things or have any joy whatsoever. I also loved the informative addendum at the end about the history of indigenous peoples in Oklahoma that preceded the white and black populations by hundreds of years. The context of history makes the story.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A brief, graphic introduction to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. The lengthy afterword written by two academics emphasizes the genocidal oppression Native Americans relating to the Oklahoma Territory.

[Carol Tilley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just read it.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fine graphic novel. I just craved more information.

[Kim Lockhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good introduction to the Tulsa massacre of the community of Greenwood.

[Jeanne Morigeau · Rating 4 out of 5]

The graphic novel part was too brief and simple. I was expecting something more in-depth, but the notes at the end helped.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quick short read with lovely illustrations that give you a quick and brief insight into a massacre that America has strangely left out of the curriculum. There are a few typos that stand out, but nothing too glaring. I will say that it is an excellent introduction for youngsters.

[Abraham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome visuals and colors. The art style and language is very accessible. Exactly what I was looking for.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super important book about an event that should be studied by every child in America.

It was very well done, but I wanted to get more info.

The endnotes were great in fleshing out more about it but it’s a graphic novel and I would’ve liked for it to have gone a bit more in depth.

[Deborah Horton Core · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicely illustrated, this graphic novel does an outstanding job of introducing a young reader to Greenwood District, major players of the Greenwood district, and the blooming history of the area before the blight that was the Tulsa Race Riot/ Massacre of 1921. The author does an excellent job of introducing important Greenwood people, locations and happenings, and what happened to the area. Even the ending is hopeful for such a horrible event and I applaud the attempt to maintain hope and civility.
It would make a great introduction to the subject for anyone wanting to learn more. I highly recommend it.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not learn about the Tulsa Race Massacre in school. Reading this story angers me, makes me feel that our history is so twisted that we have to work a LOT harder to recognize and uplift people of color.

[gillion · Rating 3 out of 5]

My mom actually had an author event and I was able to get the book! My family and I went to Tusla a couple of years ago and the only 2 reasons why we went to Oklahoma in the first place is to visit The Outsiders House and to visit Tulsa because it was coming up on the anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre. It is shocking that I barely remember this, let alone if I have ever learned about it at throughout my 20 odd years of education. There are not a lot of books for young readers that talk about the Tulsa Race Massacre and I am so happy that this now exists.

[Vicki · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought that the cover looked fantastic and I was excited to read it, but now that I have I can't help but think that the topic deserved a better graphic novel. It is such an important story to tell that I was trying so hard not to be harsh on this book. Let me start with the positive things. I really liked that it spent such a good amount of time on how Black Wall Street came to be. It gave some contrast to the horrors that happen later in the book. I was also quite startled, in a good way, by the spread of pages with the fire, planes, and other violence. I thought that was very well done.

While I loved the cover artwork, the style of the rest of the artwork started to bother me over time. The people depicted never felt like they were interacting with each other. It felt to me like someone drew a bunch of separate people and then layered them over each other. They looked past each other instead of at each other. Some of them were posed in ways that felt very artificial. To me this resulted in a world that didn't feel lived in, and disconnected me from the feeling of community that this area must have had.

I wondered as I read this what age it was aimed at. Most of it was very simplistically written. There were even some editing errors, like words that were missing entirely, which is almost unforgivable in a book with such little text. I would have thought it was a book for kids until I got to the very violent parts. There just wasn't enough information for me to feel like it would be a worthwhile read for teens. Some of the information came without context, like the lawsuit against the city ordinance mentioned at the end. There was no explanation for why they fought against making the new buildings fireproof. I would assume that it was because it was too expensive, but I felt like I missed something. The section in the back of the book was then almost too much detail for the kind of reader who would be attracted to the simple style of the rest of the book. It tried to span too much history.

Overall, I felt like this story could be told far more effectively. Even some direct quotes from people who lived through it, like Don Brown puts in his graphic novels, would have helped immensely by making the reader really feel the tragedy that took place. The way it is told here is just too rushed and simplistic.

[Clint · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted this to be great, and I’m really disappointed it’s not even good. The writing is okay, and I appreciated the early section that focused on the district’s development and briefly spotlighted several people who made Greenwood what it was at its peak. Overall though, the summarizing of everything is so brief that I didn’t come away with much more than the initial impression I started with.

More unfortunately, this is the most amateurish art I can remember seeing in a published comic. I noticed that Robinson is credited as a professor of graphic design, and I don’t doubt his other artistic abilities, but his hand illustration here feels like the work of a hobbyist fan artist. Each page has a face or two that’s promising and at least competent (and surely where the majority of time was spent drawing that page), but then expanding beyond those to fill out the rest of the page with background detail is consistently a disaster. Rather than the art adding to the text, I regularly had to re-read the text because I was distracted and gawking dumbfounded by the art. Background structures often look like clip art or something done in MS Paint. Most background figures have laughably odd proportions and posing. The coloring uses an earthy/yellow/purple color palette that recalls similar coloring I enjoyed in Bitter Root, but the specific hues used here are garish. The lettering of building signage in a few cases has the bunched spacing at the end that you’d see on a poorly planned pep rally sign. I even noticed sloppy anachronisms like electric hair clippers in a barber shop scene, despite not being invented yet.

Sadly I’m left thinking a relevant wiki page or two is a better use of time if you’re interested in the very worthwhile subject.

[Sally Kruger]

*Thank you to the publisher for providing this copy for ALAN conference participants.

ACROSS THE TRACKS is a graphic presentation of the history of Greenwood, OK, Black Wall Street, and the Tulsa Race Massacre. In 1906 O. W. Gurley founded the Greenwood community. After its formation, countless black professionals, business owners, and others created a community opposite the railroad tracks from Tulsa, OK.

From 1906 until 1921, Greenwood grew. Starting with a grocery store, Greenwood welcomed African Americans like nowhere else in the United States. Schools, a huge theater, a library, hotels and restaurants, and clothing stores lined its streets. Land sold and homes were built and Black-owned businesses thrived despite Jim Crow laws that crippled other parts of the nation. The great Booker T. Washington declared the famous Greenwood Avenue to be the Black Wall Street.

On May 31, 1921, Dick Rowland, a young black man, was accused of attacking a white woman in an elevator. This sparked the Tulsa Race Massacre that destroyed most of Greenwood. Many people are not familiar with this terrible event in U.S. history, but thanks the creators of ACROSS THE TRACKS, young people can now read about it and learn that determined Black citizens proudly rebuilt much of what was destroyed.

[K.C. Norton · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*, conditonally.

Hm, mixed feelings on this... on one hand, this is very cartoony, and it ends up being very surface-level. On the other hand, I think this is specifically designed for young readers who might be hearing about these events for the first time, so the fact that it's a little light on details might be by design. I'm rating it specifically as an introduction book for young readers, perhaps middle schoolers. If that is indeed the target audience, I like some of the sublter things this book managed to do, including celebrating what Greenwood achieved in spite of the limitations placed on it by hateful legislation. I remember being too many years old before I encountered a book about successful African American communities in US history. Obviously, we can't talk about that without also acknowledging the context of systemic racism, but failing to acknowledge them altogether flattens our understanding of history.

The illustrations of the massacre itself shy away from most forms of violence, and focus on showing how terrifying it was to be cut of from help. I do feel like the authors glossed over the aftermath too quickly, but since the whole book felt rushed, that critique applies overall.

tl;dr... This isn't a deep resource, but I appreciate it as an introductory material for younger readers, and some of the design is quite striking.

[Paul Decker · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received this book as an eARC from ABRAMS via NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

History needs to be remembered. This graphic novel tells the story of the Tulsa Race Massacre as well as the history of Greenwood and the aftermath and rebuilding. There are details of prominent people of the time and the different businesses are showcased as well. There's also a more detailed history in an essay at the end.

I didn't learn about these events until I was an adult. These stories must be told. This graphic novel is a great way to tell the story of so many amazing Black people creating a space to thrive during a time where the country was against them. Knowing stories like this influence our future. There is so much work that America still needs to do and we must know our past to make a better future for all.

I give this book a 5/5. Once it is released, I will be recommending this book to everyone.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introduction into some of the intricate aspects of Greenwood's origin and perspectives around it's destruction. Other titles focus heavily on the trauma of the Tulsa Race Massacre with play-by-plays of each horrible incident.

This book takes a different direction. It looks at the roots of Oklahoma as it connects to slavery in "the Five Civilized Tribes," the Trail of Tears, allotment, mineral rights, social changes, and an introspective discussion of white supremacy's impacts on Indigenous, Black, and Black Indigenous peoples. There is also a respectful treatment of Oklahoma as a displaced area, then territory (I.T.), forced statehood, and finally a reflection on current changes post McGirt.

For a short volume, this comic is really rich with back matter that informs the reader without overwhelming them with historical jargon. It appreciates the histories of the place and takes a multi-faceted approach to talking about the blood in its soil.