Victor Luckerson, Author of Built From the Fire
Explaining the World of Greenwood and the Tulsa Race Massacre
The Book
Built From the Fire goes into unparalleled depth on the history of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, marrying intimate family accounts of life in the neighborhood with rigorous academic research on the racist policies that buffeted Greenwood in generation after
generation. Critics have offered high praise:
- Named a 2023 Best Book of the Year by the New York Times and the Washington Post
- Winner of the Museum of African American History’s Stone Book Award and the 2023 Lillian Smith Book Award, the top prize for social justice writing in the U.S.
- Winner of the 2023 SABEW Best in Business Book Award and Outstanding Book on Oklahoma History from the Oklahoma Historical Society
- “Victor Luckerson combs through layers of soot and ash, the physical and psychological residue of the Tulsa race massacre…By the end of Luckerson’s outstanding book, the idea of building something new from the ashes of what has been destroyed becomes comprehensible, even hopeful.” -Marcia Chatelain, The New York Times
- “This is a new addition to the canon of required readings on this nation’s tortured racial history.”—Jelani Cobb, author of The Substance of Hope
The Speaker
Victor Luckerson is a dynamic and versatile public speaker fluent in 118 years of Greenwood history. His journalism on Greenwood has appeared in the New Yorker and the New York Times. His nationwide book tour attracted more than 100 guests in Tulsa,
Washington, D.C., Birmingham, and Savannah. He has also hosted lectures on Greenwood at 15 colleges across the United States. Here’s a sample of Victor’s high-profile public appearances talking about Tulsa:
- Victor on MSNBC’s Morning Joe
- Victor on MSNBC’s The ReidOut
- Victor presenting research at the Smithsonian Institution
The Talk
Victor can speak on a number of different topics from his book on Greenwood’s history, Built From the Fire, in either a lecture or conversation format. Popular topics include:
- Placing the Tulsa Race Massacre in the context of America’s history of racial violence
- Explaining the impact of urban renewal and highway construction on black communities in the 1960’s and ‘70s
- Tracing the legacy of black entrepreneurship in Greenwood
- Discussing journalistic and research methods in engaging families and conducting archival research to craft intimate stories
Hiring Victor
To discuss hiring Victor to do a talk at your school, company or organization, please reach him via email at vic.luckerson@gmail.com. Rates are negotiable