Journalist and author Victor Luckerson will speak about the history of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre and its resulting impact when he presents a lecture titled, Beyond the Massacre: The Legacy of Tulsa's "Black Wall Street," February 28, 2024, 6:00 p.m. in room 108 of the Business Innovation Building.
Luckerson’s award-winning book, Built from the Fire: The Epic Story of Tulsa’s Greenwood District chronicles the history of Tulsa’s Greenwood District through the eyes of families who have called the place home for generations. It is the true story behind a potent national symbol of success and solidarity and weaves an epic tale about a neighborhood that refused, more than once, to be erased. Over more than a century these families endured racial violence, urban renewal, and gentrification—but they were building for themselves all the while.
“Built from the Fire provides an engaging immersion into Tulsa's Greenwood district both before and after the 1921 Tulsa race riot,” said Brian Creech, professor and chair of journalism..”But it also provides a portrait of American racial capitalism, and the more mundane injustices visited upon Black communities throughout the 20th century in the name of urban development and renewal. We are excited to bring him to campus and to share this story with the Lehigh community."
Built From the Fire was named a top book of the year by the New York Times and the Washington Post. It was recognized with a Best in Business Book Award by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing.
“Prior to writing Built from the Fire, Victor’s success as a journalist for Time, Sports Illustrated and The Ringer primed him for his well-researched, essential debut book, which brings neglected black history to the public,” said Meredith Cummings, teaching assistant professor of journalism. “He does what good journalists do: give voice to those that might have gone unheard and holds power accountable.”
Currently the Writer in Residence at The University of Tulsa, Luckerson has written for The New Yorker, the New York Times, TIME magazine and Smithsonian magazine. He was nominated for a National Magazine Award for his reporting in Time on the 1923 Rosewood Massacre in Rosewood, Florida. He also manages an email newsletter about underexplored aspects of black history called Run It Back.
His lecture is co-sponsored by the department of journalism and the Africana studies program. For more information about the event, contact Meredith Cummings in the department of journalism.
