Nonfiction: We Refuse to Forget by Caleb Gayle

It may be me, but there seems to be an abundance of great nonfiction being published during 2022. I have truly felt spoiled for choice, so the decision to read Caleb Gayle's We Refuse to Forget: A True Story of Black Creeks, American Identity, and Power was not made lightly. A journalist is drawn to a story from the same area where he grew up, and what he finds is a generations-long quest for identity and belonging. 

Genre, Themes, History: This book is a brief but thorough history of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation in the United States, particularly those that identify as fully Creek and fully Black. While working for The Guardian, Gayle is intrigued by an article from Tulsa, Oklahoma about the Creek Native Americans and its Black citizens. What would follow is a journey that would allow Gayle to rethink race and identity in America. Starting with the mid 1800s, Gayle follows the long and often painful history of the Creek Native Americans, whose land has been taken and encroached upon since the first settlers. But the story Gayle became particularly invested in is that of the Black Creeks, whose citizenship in Creek Nation was revoked in the 1970s, and who continue to fight today to have that citizenship reinstated. 

My Verdict: Despite being less than 250 pages long, the book provides a thorough history of the Creek Nation (and almost the U.S. as a whole), allowing the reader to see exactly how the events of today could have possibly come about. How could a group that has experienced extensive discrimination and injustice justify its own actions of discrimination and injustice against a group of people that has been a part of them for generations? Gayle answers this question and more. He allowed his curiosity over one seemingly random article out of Tulsa, Oklahoma to lead him on a journey of incredible discovery. Through heavy research and respect for the subject, the often hidden and unknown story of the Black Creeks is presented in a clear and compelling way.

Favorite Moment: Chapter 14, "Radical Memories," offers a great reflection on what it means to remember in this country, particularly if you identify as one of the many groups that is often encouraged to forget and move on.

Recommended Reading: In this book, Gayle twice references Imani Perry, author of this year's South to America. Boom Town by Sam Anderson also offers a thorough history of another Oklahoma city with a wild beginning.