Fifth Oaklawn Excavation Seeks Massacre Victims

Search for 1921 Victims Expands

Efforts to uncover the full truth about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre continue as archaeologists begin a fifth excavation at Oaklawn Cemetery.

This phase targets two new areas on the cemetery’s western side, identified as possible burial locations for additional victims. Since excavations began in 2020, forensic experts have located six victims connected to the massacre—one of the worst outbreaks of racial violence in U.S. history.

Progress and Purpose

Researchers say physical evidence supports community accounts of hurried burials following the violence that destroyed Tulsa’s historic Greenwood District, known as Black Wall Street.

Investigators use ground-penetrating radar and DNA analysis to locate and identify remains. The City of Tulsa and the state medical examiner’s office are collaborating with historians, scientists, and descendants of victims.

Continuing the Search for Massacre Justice

Forensic teams plan to work several weeks before determining whether any remains can be matched to known victims. Descendant families will receive updates throughout the process.

Tulsa officials say each excavation moves the city closer to closure and historical accountability.

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