The Formal Excavation started on October 14 and is expected to last several weeks. Two bodies are confirmed to be 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre victims so far. In the FY 2025-2026 budget $1 million dollars was allocated to fund excavation, DNA analysis, and identification of remains at Oaklawn Cemetery and other possible burial sites.

The City of Tulsa and field experts began a fifth excavation at Oaklawn Cemetery  following receipt of the latest Oaklawn Cemetery summary report and proposed next steps from the Oklahoma Archaeological Survey.

The excavation also comes after the City announced in June that it had identified the second Race Massacre victim from the City’s yearslong search: James Goings. The first was C. L. Daniel, who was identified in July of 2024. An additional identity was announced in June as well – that of George Melvin Gillispie – but it has yet to be determined whether Gillispie is a race massacre victim.

Recommended Next Steps at Oaklawn Cemetery

The 2024 Field Season Summary Report, which can be found at www.cityoftulsa.org/1921graves, details several new recent findings from forensic anthropologists about the remains at Oaklawn Cemetery. During the last excavation, field experts extended three different excavation blocks, namely:

• The 2021 excavation block near Burial 27 to the west and south
• The 2022 excavation block (containing Burials 42 and 45) to the north and west
• The 2022 excavation block to the 2023 excavation area

Given the findings, which did not yield the number of gunshot and burn victims expected to be buried at Oaklawn Cemetery based on death certificate data, Oklahoma Archaeological Survey proposed the expansion of excavations in Blocks K and F, which are located along the fence line on the westernmost side of the cemetery.