The Burning

Massacre, Destruction, and the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921

By: Tim Madigan

Narrated by: Bill Andrew Quinn

On the morning of June 1, 1921, a white mob numbering in the thousands marched across the railroad tracks dividing black from white in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and obliterated a black community then celebrated as one of America's most prosperous. Thirty-four square blocks of Tulsa's Greenwood community were reduced to smoldering rubble.

And now, 80 years later, the death toll of what is known as the Tulsa Race Riot is more difficult to pinpoint. Conservative estimates put the number of dead at about 100 (75 percent of the victims are believed to have been black), but the actual number of casualties could be triple that. The Tulsa Race Riot Commission, formed two years ago to determine exactly what happened, has recommended that restitution to the historic Greenwood Community would be good public policy and do much to repair the emotional as well as physical scars of this most terrible incident in our shared past.

With chilling details, humanity, and the narrative thrust of compelling fiction, The Burning will recreate the town of Greenwood at the height of its prosperity, explore the currents of hatred, racism, and mistrust between its black residents and neighboring Tulsa's white population, narrate events leading up to and including Greenwood's annihilation, and document the subsequent silence that surrounded the tragedy.

©2001 Tim Madigan (P)2020 Tantor

The back story on what was happening in those days

I like the story and I wish the speaker was more fluent and involved in the story

The attention to detail.

The atmosphere seemed very out of context in several spots. There were times during which I was unsure as to which side the story was being told. That being said, it was as a well told and very loyal to the truth.

Eye opening

The burning revealed multiple details about the Tulsa massacre that I had never been aware of until now.

Important book

Tells the important and horrific story of the Tulsa Race Massacre in an easy to read format.

Powerful Book

I’m glad I came across this great, it’s a wonderful account of black history and American history.

So informative!

This is a must read about such an important time in our state and national history.

Compelling, important

The rich, personal details portray the grotesque reality, the sadness, the horrendous loss without losing the larger narrative arc to convey context of the totality of this tragic, ignored part of our shared US history. Very important.

Hard to listen to, but a must read.

This book was incredibly eye opening and heart wrenching. I definitely cried while listening to this book. Only by understanding the past can we hope to make a better future, I believe that this book is an important part of understanding the past.

Very disturbing

From time to time I listen to a book that is extremely disturbing. It seems incredible to me that such an event, as is retold in The Burning could happen within the borders of my country, a country I love with all my heart. It is equally incredible that this is a part of our history of which so many of our people are ignorant. I was one of those people up until I listened this book. I am glad the book was not just a retelling of events but it is a recounting of personal stories told by those who survived the massacre and whose lives were forever changed by it. I need to hear these stories because it helps me to understand why there are communities within our nation who respond as they do to injustice and inequality. I am also encouraged and inspired by so many who stood up to hatred and oppression and showed compassion, even when it was unpopular to do so. There are so many good stories we can tell within our nation's history and we need to hold onto and cherish those stories. But we must also bring into the full light of day the terrible stories embedded with our history that have too long been buried, even if they engender feelings of horror and disgust. How else can we learn from our past? How else can we even understand the present?

Almost untold story

I had never before heard a whisper of these awful events in 1921 and was truly shocked to learn of them. This is a courageous telling and should be made available to students of US history everywhere,