Jennifer Latham, the author of “Dreamland Burning,” visited the school to talk to the students about the Tulsa Race Massacre and the inspiration for her book, and she hosted a creative writing workshop for a select group of students.

Latham had researched for four years prior to writing “Dreamland Burning” and was able to give students an in depth history of the Tulsa Race Massacre, which occurred in 1921 in the Greenwood District that was known as the “Black Wall Street.” It completely changed the lives of many African American residents of Greenwood. Although the exact number of deaths is unknown, historians estimate it to be around 300.  Latham interviewed one of the last survivors of the mascara, which inspired “Dreamland Burning.”

Junior Emilia Chambers attended Lathem’s writing workshop.

“I was worried about how I would actually start something, but when she was like ‘don’t worry about it and – don’t worry about being perfect’,” Chambers said. “I feel it removes some of the stress of writing.”