Opal's Greenwood Oasis

By Najah-amatullah Hylton, Quraysh Ali Lansana, Skip Hill (Illustrator)

Explore Greenwood's vibrant past before its tragic fall in 1921.

4.6/5 Goodreads · 49 ratings

32 pages

$22.50Save 7%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

In 1921, young Opal Brown invites you to Greenwood, Tulsa's thriving Black community. Experience its bustling streets and joyful families, where everyone shares a common heritage. But beneath the prosperity looms a shadow of impending tragedy. As Opal's story unfolds, discover the resilience and achievements of a community soon to face the devastation of the Tulsa Race Massacre. What will remain of Greenwood's legacy?

From the publisher

“A beautiful and poignant reminder of the industry, joy and resilience of Black people in America.”-Trey Ellis, Peabody and Emmy winning producer of King in the Wilderness andTrue Justice: Bryan Stevenson’s Fight for EqualityThe year is 1921, and Opal Brown would like to show you around her beautiful neighborhood of Greenwood in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Filled with busy stores and happy families, Opal also wants you to know that “everyone looks like me.”In both words and illustrations, this carefully researched and historically accurate book allows children to experience the joys and success of Greenwood, one of the most prosperous Black communities of the early 20th Century, an area Booker T. Washington dubbed America’s Black Wall Street.Soon after the day narrated by Opal, Greenwood would be lost in the Tulsa Race Massacre, the worst act of racial violence in American history. As we approach the centennial of that tragic event, children have the opportunity through this book to learn and celebrate all that was built in Greenwood.

At a glance