On the day before
Juneteenth, a long-marked celebration of the end of slavery that was finally made a US federal holiday in 2021, I attended a play about the
1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Awareness of this atrocious event in our history that destroyed a thriving Black community has increased in recent years. In just 75 minutes,
The Burning of Greenwood shows us a day in the life of the business owners and families in this community, and how it all changed that day in 1921. The unsettling thing is that over a hundred years later, the destruction of Black communities and lives is continuing to happen, if in less dramatic ways. Plays like this shine a light on our history and the way it reflects the present, allow the Black community to be seen, increase empathy and understanding, and hopefully pave the way for a better future.
The Burning of Greenwood continues at the Crane Theater in Northeast Minneapolis through July 25 only.
