Arr, them scurvy dogs be diggin' up the bones o' the poor souls lost in the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre!
2023-09-15
Arrr, mateys! Yonder treasure-huntin' landlubbers dug up a poor soul, and be fixin' t' dig up another! They be seekin' clues 'bout those lost souls from the great Tulsa Race Massacre o' 1921, arrr!
Archeologists have recently exhumed the remains of one person and are planning to exhume a second set as they continue their search for victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre in a cemetery in Tulsa. These remains are among the 22 sets found during the current search, but they are the only ones found in simple, wooden caskets as described by historical sources. The Oklahoma state archaeologist, Kary Stackelbeck, stated that this suggests that a number of adult males were supposed to be buried in these types of coffins.One set of remains was taken to an onsite forensics laboratory on Thursday, while the second set is scheduled to be excavated on Friday. The gender of both sets is still unknown. This search is the third excavation in the quest to find the estimated 75 to 300 Black people who were killed during the massacre by a white mob that targeted the Black section of Tulsa, known as Greenwood. The violence resulted in the burning of over 1,000 homes, the destruction of a thriving business district called Black Wall Street, and the loss of countless lives.
Although none of the remains have been officially confirmed as victims of the violence, previous searches have led to the discovery of 66 sets of remains. Out of those, six sets have produced genetic genealogy profiles that have been connected to potential surnames and locations of interest. The search area was chosen based on ground penetrating radar findings that indicated the presence of makeshift grave markers.
Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum, who initiated the search, acknowledged the challenges of finding and identifying individuals who were killed and buried over a century ago. The three known survivors of the massacre are currently appealing a court ruling that dismissed their lawsuit seeking reparations for the destruction of the Black district.