Once upon a time in Greenwood, there were two movie theaters including the eight-hundred seat, Black-owned Dreamland. There were even six privately owned airplanes.
-- Narrator

Importance: The narrator uses the phrase: “Once upon a time” (10) frequently, giving the story a fairy-tale-like quality. This particular quote also gives facts proving how wealthy some people in Greenwood were.

But in 1921, not everyone in Tulsa was pleased with these signs of Black wealth — undeniable proof that African Americans could achieve just as much, if not more than, whites.
-- Narrator

Importance: Weatherford states the problem in this quote as she notes that Whites did not want to see proof that Blacks were able to make a good living for themselves. They were so angered they willingly destroyed the neighborhood over an alleged assault.

Unchecked and, in some cases, deputized by the police, the white mob stormed into Greenwood, looting and burning homes and businesses that Blacks had saved...
-- Narrator