Introduction
As an undergraduate student studying Education, this essay responds to the assigned project by selecting Option 1: Character Journal / Diary. I have chosen to write from the perspective of Will Tillman, a white teenage character from the 1921 timeline in Jennifer Latham’s novel Dreamland Burning (2017). This exercise allows me to embody Tillman’s voice, reflecting the historical context of the Tulsa Race Massacre, while exploring themes of race, power, and injustice. By stepping into this perspective, the project fosters empathy and demonstrates how historical fiction can personalise history in educational settings, encouraging students to connect past events with contemporary issues (Santoli and Wagner, 2004). The following sections present four journal entries, each capturing Tillman’s emotional growth, internal conflicts, and the era’s racial tensions. This approach highlights storytelling’s role in building critical awareness, though it has limitations in fully representing marginalised voices.
Journal Entry 1: Early Reflections on Greenwood
May 15, 1921. Folks around here talk about Greenwood like it’s some kinda miracle, the “Negro Wall Street” they call it. Pa says it’s proof coloured folks can thrive if they work hard, but I see the way he tightens his jaw when he mentions it. Me, I’m curious—wandered over there last week and saw shops buzzing, people dressed sharp as tacks. But there’s this edge, you know? Whispers about unrest, white folks grumbling over jobs. It ain’t right, but I feel pulled between what Pa teaches and what my gut says. Am I wrong to think we could all get along? The air feels thick with something brewing, and it scares me a bit.
Journal Entry 2: Encountering Injustice
May 30, 1921. Today changed everything. I saw that boy, Dick Rowland, get arrested for nothing—folks saying he assaulted a white girl in an elevator. Rubbish, if you ask me, but the newspapers are stirring up a frenzy. Crowds gathering downtown, armed and angry. I tried talking to my friend about it, but he just laughed, said it’s time to “put them in their place.” My hands shake writing this; I know coloured folks in Greenwood ain’t the enemy, but speaking up feels like betraying my own. Power’s all twisted—whites hold it, and it crushes everyone else. I’m torn, guilty even, for staying silent.
Journal Entry 3: The Night of the Massacre
June 1, 1921. Chaos erupted last night—fires lighting up the sky, gunshots echoing like thunder. I snuck out and witnessed hell: planes dropping bombs on Greenwood, mobs destroying homes and lives. Saw a man shot down, his family screaming. I hid, coward that I am, but the injustice burns in me now. Why do we let hate win? Pa’s involved somehow, and it sickens me. I’ve grown tonight, realising silence is complicity. History’s being written in blood, and I must choose a side—truth over lies, even if it costs me.
Journal Entry 4: Aftermath and Personal Growth
June 5, 1921. The smoke’s cleared, but Greenwood’s ruins haunt me. Bodies everywhere, folks displaced, and the papers call it a “riot” like the coloured started it. Baloney. I’ve confronted Pa, told him it’s murder, pure and simple. He raged, but I see now how power blinds us whites to our own cruelty. This massacre ain’t just about race; it’s about hiding the truth to keep control. I’m changing—vowing to speak out, maybe help rebuild. The past shapes us, but empathy might heal it. Still, the weight of it all crushes my spirit.
Conclusion
Through these journal entries, embodying Will Tillman’s perspective illustrates how historical fiction like Dreamland Burning personalises the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, fostering empathy and critical reflection on power and injustice (Latham, 2017). As an Education student, this exercise reveals storytelling’s potential to make history relatable, though it risks oversimplifying complex events if not supplemented by factual sources (Barton and Levstik, 2004). Ultimately, such activities encourage students to confront how past injustices influence the present, promoting inclusive teaching practices. However, limitations include the challenge of authentically representing diverse voices without direct historical evidence. This project underscores education’s role in building societal awareness, arguably essential for addressing ongoing racial inequalities.
References
- Barton, K.C. and Levstik, L.S. (2004) Teaching history for the common good. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
- Latham, J. (2017) Dreamland Burning. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.
- Santoli, S.P. and Wagner, M.E. (2004) ‘Using literature to teach about the Holocaust and other genocides’, The Social Studies, 95(4), pp. 149-154.
