'Built from the Fire' traces the impact of the Tulsa Race Massacre

NPR's Book of the Day

NPR

Arts, Books

4.2 • 671 Ratings

🗓️ 12 June 2023

⏱️ 9 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Oklahoma state Rep. Regina Goodwin is a descendant of survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. The racist violence, which killed hundreds of Black Tulsans and burned the city's Greenwood District – known as Black Wall Street – is the subject of journalist Victor Luckerson's new book, Built from the Fire. In today's episode, both Goodwin and Luckerson join NPR's Michel Martin to discuss how for more than a century, Greenwood residents have rebuilt their community time and time again, even in the face of urban renewal policies and gentrification practices.

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Tinbeid Ermius.
0:05.9	When people talk about the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, it almost always centers what was lost.
0:12.5	And for good reason, the horrific event endures as one of the deadliest acts of racial violence in U.S. history.
0:19.3	But in his new book, Built from the Fire,
0:22.0	the epic story of Tulsa's Greenwood District,
0:25.2	America's Black Wall Street,
0:26.8	Victor Lukerson focuses on what remains,
0:29.6	an enduring legacy of inequality.
0:31.2	He spoke about the book with Morning Edition host Michelle Martin,
0:34.9	who's joined in this conversation by Oklahoma State Representative
0:37.8	Regina Goodwin, a descendant of people who survived the massacre.
0:42.6	Goodwin's family is an anchor that helps us understand the joy, triumph, and horror that
0:47.2	the community experienced. But it's also about dreams and what's possible for Tulsa moving forward.
0:53.7	Here's NPR's Michelle Martin.
0:55.5	In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from daily life. Distant wars, murky
1:01.7	conflicts, diplomacy behind closed doors on our new show, Sources and Methods. NPR reporters on
1:07.7	the ground bring you stories of real people helping you understand why distant events matter here at home.
1:14.5	Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
1:20.1	It was May 31st, 1921. It saw the beginning of one of this country's most horrifying episodes of racist mob violence.
1:28.4	Over the course of a few days, hundreds of black residents were killed in what's become known as the Tulsa Race Massacre.
1:34.2	Survivors lost their livelihoods as a white mob set fire to 35 blocks of the Greenwood District, which was known as Black Wall Street.
1:41.2	In recent years, historians and descendants of survivors have worked hard
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from NPR, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of NPR and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.