One hundred years after the Tulsa Race Massacre, Across the Tracks is a celebration and memorial of Greenwood, Oklahoma
In
Across the Tracks: 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.
Across the Tracks is a graphic nonfiction account that brings to life the story of Greenwood, Oklahoma-once known as Black Wall Street-and one of the most significant chapters in American history.
Written by Alverne Ball and illustrated by Stacey Robinson, the book introduces readers to a thriving Black community whose achievements and cultural vitality shaped a powerful legacy prior to the devastating 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
Before the events of 1921, Greenwood was a center of Black entrepreneurship, creativity, and self-determination. Through vivid illustration and accessible narrative, the book highlights the businesses, leaders, and everyday residents who built a prosperous community during a time of systemic inequality.
The Tulsa Race Massacre is presented within this broader story-showing not only the violence that devastated Greenwood but also the deep history that preceded it and the resilience that followed. Ball's narrative emphasizes remembrance and context, ensuring that readers understand both the tragedy and the enduring strength of the community.
Designed for students, educators, and general readers, Across the Tracks combines graphic storytelling with supplementary materials including a timeline and historical essay, offering a clear and engaging introduction to the rise, destruction, and rebuilding of Black Wall Street.
"Across the Tracks not only personalizes and therefore heightens the tragedy we know will come, but it also reframes that tragedy. Black perseverance and joy take center stage in a way it seldom does when discussing Greenwood." -The Beat
