Built from the Fire:
A Talking Book
Montgomery native and National Magazine Award nominee Victor Luckerson is partnering with collective arts organization, close third, to bring the story of Tulsa’s famous Greenwood District alive.
magnetic Montgomery-based musicians and artists will use poetry, music, and other creative media to draw parallels between the history of Greenwood, also known as “Black Wall Street” and Montgomery. the artists will draw inspiration from Luckerson’s new book on the history of Greenwood, Built From the Fire, which received glowing reviews in the New York Times and the Washington Post.
featured artists include Sunshine, the Poet, Jacqueline Allen Trimble, gregMIKE, and Poetess Zora. a combo led by Amon Robinson will provide musical accompaniment to each artist’s performance.
the live aspect of the show will be enhanced by video vignettes featuring commentary by Luckerson and photography by local artists from Tulsa and Montgomery. the creative team behind the show’s unique format drew inspiration from genre-bending works such as The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and OutKast’s Aquemini.
Victor Luckerson is an athor and journalist who works to bring neglected black history to light. he has written for The New Yorker, the New York Times and Smithsonian magazine. Luckerson moved to Tulsa in 2019 to tell the story of Greenwood from the perspective of race massacre survivors and descendants. his debut book, Built From the Fire, has received praise nationwide since its publication by Random House in May 2023. The New York Times called the book “absorbing,” while the Washington Post praised it as an exceptional and thoroughly researched account of a “multifaceted community that refuses to be silenced.” follow Victor’s writing journey at his site Run It Back.