I’m an author and journalist bringing neglected black history to light.
My debut book, Built From the Fire, chronicles the history of Tulsa’s Greenwood District through the eyes of families who have called the place home for generations. Over more than a century these families endured racial violence, urban renewal, and gentrification—but they were building for themselves all the while.
Praise for Built From the Fire
“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.”
-The New York Times (Named a 2023 Top 100 Notable Book)
“Luckerson’s thoroughly researched and empathetically written account…gives voice to a powerful, exquisitely multifaceted community that refuses to be silenced.”
-The Washington Post (Named a 2023 Top 50 Notable Nonfiction Book)
“The scope, the elegance, and the power of Luckerson’s tale is simply breathtaking and empowering.”
-Carol Anderson, author of White Rage
“An American epic…compelling from its opening paragraph to its final sentence. This is a new addition to the required readings on this nation’s tortured racial history.”
-Jelani Cobb, author of The Substance of Hope
I’m a dynamic and versatile public speaker fluent in 118 years of Greenwood history. My journalism on Greenwood has appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Times and Smithsonian magazine. My nationwide book tour has included stops at schools, colleges, and museums across the country, including the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and Google.
Upcoming Events
Jan. 24 | University of Arkansas | Multicultural Center
Feb. 1 | Oklahoma State University-Tulsa | Deep Greenwood Community Read Series | More Info
Feb. 17 | Savannah Book Festival | More Info
March 7 | University of Kentucky
March 26 | University of Richmond
March 29 | Howard University Club of Southwest Florida | Scholarship Luncheon
April 5 | Rochester Institute of Technology
April 11 | University of Tulsa | Deep Greenwood Community Read Series | More Info