1921 Graves Test Excavation at Oaklawn Complete
MEDIA BRIEFING: A media briefing was held at the Tulsa Fire Museum before the excavation at Oaklawn Cemetery. From left are Scott Ellsworth, historian and professor of African American and African Studies at the University of Michigan, Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum, and Kary Stackelbeck, state archeologist for the State of Oklahoma.
The test excavation to uncover potential mass graves from the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre within the Sexton area at Oaklawn Cemetery concluded July 22.
Following eight days of searching, findings indicate no evidence of human remains are present in the excavation area.
“I want to thank the research team for their expertise and work the past eight days as they exhausted all options to reach their conclusive assessment for this particular anomaly found in Oaklawn Cemetery,” Mayor G.T. Bynum said. “This initial test excavation was the first of many efforts to find Tulsa Race Massacre victims and this is just the beginning of our work to bring healing and justice to the families. We remain committed to find out what happened to our fellow Tulsans in 1921.”
Multiple sites of interest remain and are still candidates for possible mass graves related to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. For the most up-to-date information on the search for possible mass graves, visit www.cityoftulsa.org/1921graves and follow 1921 Graves on Facebook, @1921Graves.
