Tulsa mayor calls for probe into possible serious mass from 1921 race riot

TULSA, Okla. – The mayor of Tulsa is calling for an investigation into possible mass graves from 1921 race riot in the city, CBS affiliate KOTV reports. Mayor G.T. Bynum said three locations will be examined: Newblock Park, Booker T. Washington Cemetery and the west side of Oaklawn Cemetery.

Bynum said that it is an additional task that they have worked on.

"I'm always thinking, if I'm going to be able to do that," Bynum said, the daily newspaper Tulsa World reported. "Because there are serious people there, the citizens of Tulsa deserve to know and the victims and their families deserve to know it."

He said three phases are being considered.

"There is a serious identification, there is a serious mass at it, and it is there, identifying what kind of mass grave it is." Is it a bad thing, or is it a true mass grave of the massacre? he said. "And third, if it is a grave mass of the massacre, then we want to do forensic examination on the bodies that are there to hopefully identify them and their causes of death."

"I think that will help inform a greater understanding around what happened in 1921."

The Tulsa Race Riot took place in the month of May 31 to June 1. Residents in the mostly black Tulsa neighborhood of Greenwood, which was thriving at the time, were attacked by a white mob. Home, businesses and churches have been burned to the ground. When the smoke cleared, more than 35 blocks were in ruins.

Hundreds of blacks were killed and homeless.

Most of the dead are buried in a serious grave around town, "60 Minutes reportedTulsa's Oaklawn Cemetery, There were no funerals, which were outlawed.

City councilor Vanessa Hall-Harper called the city's plan "absolutely wonderful" – and overdue.

"We are never going to forget what happened," she said, Tulsa World reported. "I know to a large extent the powers that would be in this state, but we are not going to."