The City of Tulsa, in collaboration with field experts, is set to commence a fifth excavation at Oaklawn Cemetery on Tuesday, Oct. 14, as part of the ongoing investigation into the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre graves.

This follows the latest summary report and proposed next steps from the Oklahoma Archaeological Survey.

The excavation aims to uncover more victims of the massacre, with two victims, James Goings and C.L. Daniel, already identified. Another individual, George Melvin Gillispie, has been identified, though it remains undetermined if he was a massacre victim.

The 2024 Field Season Summary Report, available at www.cityoftulsa.org/1921graves, outlines recent findings from forensic anthropologists. The report suggests expanding excavations in Blocks K and F, located along the cemetery's westernmost fence line, after previous excavations did not yield the expected number of victims.

On Monday, Oct. 13, Oaklawn Cemetery was closed to the public for the duration of the excavation, which is expected to last several weeks. Drones and aircraft are prohibited during the excavation.

The City of Tulsa is coordinating with Greenwood, North Tulsa, and 1921 Race Massacre descendants to allow community volunteers to assist with the excavation. Interested individuals can sign up at https://forms.office.com/g/cCbiYcE5Sn.

The 2024 field season has already uncovered substantial evidence of trauma victims in Section 20 of Oaklawn Cemetery, with remains of four additional individuals with gunshot wounds recovered. Among the six confirmed gunshot victims, five displayed evidence of multiple gunshot wounds from at least five different calibers.

The City of Tulsa, in partnership with Intermountain Forensics and the Greenwood Cultural Center, is also hosting Community Engagement Genealogy Workshops on Nov. 7 and 8. These workshops aim to empower community members, especially descendants of the massacre, to explore their genealogies. Registration is required at www.greenwoodculturalcenter.org/genealogy-workshop.

This excavation and the genealogy project are part of Mayor Nichols' "Road to Repair," announced on June 1, 2025, to address the multigenerational wounds from the massacre. The plan includes the Greenwood Trust, a privately funded charitable trust aiming to secure $105 million for the benefit of Greenwood and North Tulsa residents.

For more information on the Road to Repair, visit www.cityoftulsa.org/RoadtoRepair.