Answer:
In the novel Of Mice and Men, Crooks is a black stable hand who is isolated from the other ranch hands due to his race. He is often the target of racial slurs and is not allowed to participate in activities with the other men. This isolation is similar to the experiences of African Americans during the 1921 Tulsa race massacre, when a white mob attacked the black community of Greenwood, Oklahoma, destroying homes and businesses and killing hundreds of people. In the novel, Crooks is described as having a "deep, bitter anger" (Steinbeck, p. 73) due to the racism he experiences. This anger is reflective of the anger and frustration felt by African Americans during the Tulsa race massacre.