About Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre

"Tulsa Burning: The 1921 Race Massacre" is a powerful, eye-opening documentary that sheds light on a dark chapter in American history. Released in 2021, the series explores the deadly attack on Tulsa's Greenwood District, at the time the wealthiest Black community in the United States, known as ''Black Wall Street.'' Over the course of two days, more than 300 African Americans were killed and the thriving neighborhood was burned to the ground. The series provides a detailed account of the massacre itself as well as its aftermath, giving voice to the victims, survivors, and their descendants.

Making / Production

Produced by NBA star Russell Westbrook and directed by Marco Williams and Stanley Nelson, the documentary is a poignant commemoration of the centennial of the massacre. The series deftly combines archival footage with dramatic narration, powerful interviews, and sobering historical analysis. It is a result of painstaking research and a determination to bring to light a largely overlooked event in American history.

Actors

• Russell Westbrook - Not only serving as an executive producer, Westbrook also appears as himself in the documentary, discussing his personal discovery of the massacre and his mission to ensure it is properly remembered.
• Michelle Brown - A descendant of a massacre survivor, provides her family's oral history and her continued struggle for justice.
• Damario Solomon-Simmons - An attorney seeking reparations for victims and their descendants, Solomon-Simmons discusses his work and shines a spotlight on the ongoing legal efforts.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The Tulsa Race Massacre was largely omitted from history, with many learning about it in detail for the first time from this docu-series.
• The series debuted exactly 100 years after the event, on May 31, 2021.
• Despite the scale of the event, no one was ever held legally accountable for the massacre.

Awards

As of now, there are no major awards associated with this docu-series. However, it has been widely praised for its thorough research and unflinching examination of this tragic event.

Quotes

• "History forgotten is history bound to be repeated." - Damario Solomon-Simmons
• "We must remember our past to protect our future." - Russell Westbrook
• "Justice for Greenwood, justice for Black Wall Street." - Michelle Brown

Music, Soundtrack

• While the series does not have a traditional soundtrack due to its documentary format, its background score by composer Osei Essed is highly praised for setting an appropriate tone, oscillating between reverential, ominous, and hopeful cues.