TULSA, Okla. — A few months ago, the City of Tulsa was starting the long-awaited process of locating some of the mass graves created after the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.
Historians said the thousands killed during that horrific event in Greenwood were thrown away in large unmarked mass graves.
Descendants of survivors from the race massacre say they are eager for the mass grave search to pick back up again as COVID-19 restrictions continue to lift.
READ MORE: Test dig planned in search of mass graves from 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre
Kavin Ross, a member of the oversight committee was disappointed but understood the necessity to temporarily stop the search.
“99 years later, I take it personally because my family was involved in this, so I’m highly anticipating the truth," Ross said. "It may not come as fast as I want it, but thank God it’s coming on my watch."
READ MORE: 99 years later: The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre
The City of Tulsa said they hope to restart the project next month, but the researchers from the University of Florida and the University of Oklahoma have to be cleared by their institutions to do so.
Dr. Phoebe Stubblefield, the forensic anthropologist from the University of Florida, who had been working on the mass grave search earlier this year, told 2 Works For You she submitted a plan to be cleared to travel earlier today and that has been approved.
We are waiting to hear back from the University of Oklahoma research team.
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