Human Remains Found in Search for 1921 Tulsa Massacre Mass Grave

Oklahoma’s state archaeologist said in a press conference Tuesday that her team had uncovered human remains in its search for a mass grave where unrecorded victims the Tulsa massacre were buried. Kary Stackelbeck said, “Human remains were found Tuesday morning in a section of Oaklawn Cemetery being examined for unmarked graves from Tulsa’s 1921 Race Massacre, but researchers say it is too soon to say whether the body is connected to that event.” Researchers hypothesize that the part of the cemetery under excavation could contain as many as 18 bodies of Black men killed in the race riot.

In 1921, white residents of Tulsa used guns and aircraft to attack the Greenwood district of the city, then known as “The Black Wall Street” for its vibrant and successful Black-owned businesses. More than three dozen people were officially declared dead though a state commission estimates at least 100, and as many as 300, died in actuality. The massacre has been the subject of renewed attention in recent years.