Book
We refuse to forget : a true story of Black Creeks, American identity, and power / Caleb Gayle.
"A landmark work of Black and Native American history that reconfigures our understanding of identity, race, and belonging and the inspiring ways marginalized people have pushed to redefine their world In this paradigm-shattering work of American history, Caleb Gayle tells the extraordinary story of the Creek Nation, a Native tribe that two centuries ago both owned slaves and accepted Black people as full members. Thanks to the leadership of a chief named Cow Tom--a Black former slave--a treaty with the U.S. government recognized Creek citizenship for its Black members. Yet this equality was shredded in the 1970s when Creek leaders revoked the citizenship of Black Creeks, even those who could trace their tribal history back generations. Why did this happen? What led to this reversal? How was the U.S. government involved? And how can marginalized people today defend themselves? These are some of the questions that award-winning journalist Caleb Gayle explores in this provocative examination of racial and ethnic identity. By delving deep into the historical record and interviewing Black Creeks suing the Creek Nation to have their citizenship reinstated, he lays bare the racism, ambition, and greed at the heart of this story. The result is an eye-opening account that challenges our preconceptions of identity as it shines new light on the long shadows of marginalization and white supremacy that continue to hamper progress for Black Americans"-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780593329580 (hardcover)
- Physical Description: xvii, 254 pages ; 24 cm
- Publisher: New York, NY : Riverhead Books, 2022.
Content descriptions
| General Note: | Includes index. |
| Formatted Contents Note: | Introduction: "I got Indian in me" -- Collateral damage -- Enough family. Let's create a nation -- Benjamin Hawkins: agent of civilization -- Cow Tom builds a home -- The moral man -- The gift he gave -- And Oklahoma became the South -- The invasion of Dawes, Curtis, and Bixby too -- His holy ground -- Living the dream, surviving the nightmares -- You'll know him by his fruit -- Johnnie Mae stopped getting mail -- Becoming a Simmons -- Radical memories -- Reparations and the Black Creek -- American collateral -- Empowerment, not dilution. |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Black people > Relations with Indigenous peoples. Muskogee > Ethnic identity. Muskogee > Mixed descent. Muskogee > Band membership. Muscogee (Creek) Nation > History. |
Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at Tsuga Consortium.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroud Branch | 975.00497385 Creek-G | 31681010279594 | NONFIC | Available | - |
- Baker & Taylor
An award-winning journalist, in this paradigm-shifting, thought-provoking examination of racial and ethnic identity in American history, tells the extraordinary story of the Creek Nation, a Native tribe that two centuries ago both owned slaves and accepted Black people as full members. - Baker & Taylor
"A landmark work of Black and Native American history that reconfigures our understanding of identity, race, and belonging and the inspiring ways marginalized people have pushed to redefine their world. In this paradigm-shattering work of American history, Caleb Gayle tells the extraordinary story of the Creek Nation, a Native tribe that two centuries ago both owned slaves and accepted Black people as full members. Thanks to the leadership of a chief named Cow Tom--a Black former slave--a treaty with theU.S. government recognized Creek citizenship for its Black members. Yet this equality was shredded in the 1970s when Creek leaders revoked the citizenship of Black Creeks, even those who could trace their tribal history back generations. Why did this happen? What led to this reversal? How was the U.S. government involved? And how can marginalized people today defend themselves? These are some of the questions that award-winning journalist Caleb Gayle explores in this provocative examination of racial andethnic identity. By delving deep into the historical record and interviewing Black Creeks suing the Creek Nation to have their citizenship reinstated, he lays bare the racism, ambition, and greed at the heart of this story. The result is an eye-opening account that challenges our preconceptions of identity as it shines new light on the long shadows of marginalization and white supremacy that continue to hamper progress for Black Americans"-- - Penguin Putnam
âAn important part of American history told with a clear-eyed and forceful brilliance.â âNational Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson
âWe Refuse to Forget reminds readers, on damn near every page, that we are collectively experiencing a brilliance we've seldom seen or imagined…We Refuse to Forget is a new standard in book-making.â âKiese Laymon, author of the bestselling Heavy: An American Memoir
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A landmark work of untold American history that reshapes our understanding of identity, race, and belonging
In We Refuse to Forget, award-winning journalist Caleb Gayle tells the extraordinary story of the Creek Nation, a Native tribe that two centuries ago both owned slaves and accepted Black people as full citizens. Thanks to the efforts of Creek leaders like Cow Tom, a Black Creek citizen who rose to become chief, the U.S. government recognized Creek citizenship in 1866 for its Black members. Yet this equality was shredded in the 1970s when tribal leaders revoked the citizenship of Black Creeks, even those who could trace their history back generationsâeven to Cow Tom himself.
Why did this happen? How was the U.S. government involved? And what are Cow Tomâs descendants and other Black Creeks doing to regain their citizenship? These are some of the questions that Gayle explores in this provocative examination of racial and ethnic identity. By delving into the history and interviewing Black Creeks who are fighting to have their citizenship reinstated, he lays bare the racism and greed at the heart of this story. We Refuse to Forget is an eye-opening account that challenges our preconceptions of identity as it shines new light on the long shadows of white supremacy and marginalization that continue to hamper progress for Black Americans.
