Greenwood District, Oklahoma, 1921: Twelve-year-old Henry Simmons has lived his entire life in Greenwood, Oklahoma, a district in the northern part of Tulsa. He's loved by his parents and neighbors, annoyed by his little sister, and protected by his community, a neighborhood full of hard-working, successful Black people like his mama and daddy. People call Greenwood "Black Wall Street," and Henry plans to grow up there until he becomes a famous writer or baseball player-or both.
Sure, he sees racism firsthand when he goes with his daddy to "White Tulsa." But for most of his life, as long as his friends and neighbors stay in Greenwood, the White folks of Tulsa don't cause too much trouble in Henry's life.
Until May 31, 1921.
That's the night Henry's life changes forever. His family's life changes forever. All the neighborhoods of Greenwood change forever-because 19-year-old Dick Rowland, a Black shoeshiner working in Tulsa, is accused of assaulting a White female elevator operator. That accusation and Dick's arrest turn into twelve hours of terror for Greenwood residents. And Henry and his family are right in the middle of the chaos, hate, and massacre.
For these twelve hours, Henry, his mother, and his younger sister Livvie watch White men and women destroy their neighborhood while they miss Daddy, who went to help protect Dick at the courthouse. Sometimes, Henry, Mama, and Livvie hide; sometimes, they flee; and always, they are shocked by the terrifying behavior of their fellow human beings.
Read Greenwood Gone: Henry's Story for Henry's account of one of the most horrific massacres in U.S. history-all because of hatred and racism. Can love win even a small victory in the face of hate? Henry will find out.
Please note: All of the author's proceeds from Greenwood Gone: Henry's Story will be donated to benefit the residents of Greenwood. The publisher will also be making regular donations from the proceeds of the book. For more information, please see the author's website.
