1921 Graves Memorial Service Held at Oaklawn Cemetery

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Oaklawn Cemetery is back open to the public after a memorial service this morning honored the individuals who were found as part of the 1921 Graves Investigation.

During the memorial service, a monument was erected and is now in place in the southwest portion of the cemetery to honor the individuals who were found and/or exhumed during the 2022-2024 phases of the 1921 Graves Investigation.

As part of the ceremony, C. L. Daniel - the first identified Tulsa Race Massacre victim from the Investigation - and other currently unknown burials were honored. C. L. was honored during a special recognition portion of the ceremony by members of the Oklahoma National Guard, VFW Post 577, and Booker T. Washington JROTC. A formal letter written by the family of C. L. Daniel has been released and can be found at www.cityoftulsa.org/1921Graves.

The memorial service and monument mark an inflection point in the City's search for answers. Genetic genealogical and DNA analyses are ongoing for every currently unidentified individual whose identities may yet be reclaimed. Geophysical work continues to be a focus in other areas of Tulsa, and work is underway on the City's Community Engagement Genealogy Project as part of the Emmett Till Grant.

In the coming weeks, headstones will be formally installed for all of the found and exhumed burials as part of the 1921 Graves Investigation at Oaklawn Cemetery. While Oaklawn Cemetery may not be the final resting place for C. L. Daniel and others who are yet to be identified, the monument and headstones installed as part of this process will remain to mark the sacred ground where they were found.