Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum announced today the first identification of a Tulsa Race Massacre victim since the City started the physical part of its 1921 Graves Investigation five years ago. The identification is a man by the name of C. L. Daniel, a World War 1 U.S. Army Veteran whose next of kin’s DNA is tied with Burial 3 from the 2021 excavation at Oaklawn Cemetery.
The discovery is the first to reveal the name of a Tulsa Race Massacre victim outside of those previously noted in the Oklahoma Commission’s 2001 Report. Among those names were Reuben Everett and Eddie Lockard, whose headstones are the only known markers of massacre victims and are located near the grave that C. L. is connected to.
“C.L. Daniel was a veteran who served our country in World War I, who was killed in the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, and whose family did not know where he had been buried for the last 103 years - until this week,” Mayor G.T. Bynum said. “I want to express Tulsa’s profound gratitude to everyone who brought us to today - from the local historians and the leaders who developed the 2001 State Commission Report to our team of experts, who are pouring their hearts and minds into this search today. I want to thank my colleagues on the Tulsa City Council and the citizens of Tulsa for continuing to fund this search. I hope this generation of Tulsans can appreciate that you helped this family find their relative after he was missing for 103 years.”
While the circumstances of C. L.’s death are unknown, his connection to the Tulsa Race Massacre was confirmed this week when Intermountain Forensics, the laboratory assisting the City with DNA and genealogical analysis, was able to recover records from the National Archives. Contained in the records was the most convincing piece of evidence tying him to the Tulsa Race Massacre – a letter from C. L.’s family attorney written to the U.S. Veteran’s Administration on behalf of C. L.’s mother regarding C. L.’s survivor benefits.
In part, the letter states “C. L. was killed in a race riot in Tulsa Oklahoma in 1921.” Receipt of this letter confirms that C. L. – whose next of kin share a significant portion of their DNA with Burial 3 - is a Tulsa Race Massacre victim not previously identified.
"As genealogists, our daily work centers on families and communities,” said Alison Wilde, Genealogy Case manager for the City’s 1921 Graves Investigation project. “I know I speak for everyone at Intermountain Forensics, and our genealogy partners, when I say we are continually humbled by the Greenwood and Tulsa Race Massacre descendant communities, as they protect the history of, and serve as guardians of, the unknown victims of the Tulsa Race Massacre. Today the family members of Mr. C. L. Daniel join those communities. I am confident his next of kin, and the memory of their loved one, are in good hands.”
Records from the National Archives also show that C. L. Daniel, a black male in his 20s, was drafted to the U.S. Army in 1918 and was later discharged in December of 1919. Records also show that C. L. was not married and did not have any children at the time of his death.
Based on letters written by C. L. Daniel in February of 1921, C. L. was in Utah working to find a job and a way back home to his mother in Georgia. While it is unclear why C. L. was in Tulsa, the notes from his mother’s attorney and another letter – one from a U.S. Congressman from Georgia – corroborate one another in that C. L. died in 1921 in Oklahoma. The second letter states in part that “C. L. Daniel was killed in Oklahoma some time shortly after his discharge…”
C. L. Daniel is connected to Burial 3, which is located in what has historically been referenced as the “Original 18” area. It’s of note that when Burial 3 was uncovered in 2021, forensic anthropologists did not note any apparent trauma associated with the burial. But with 100-year-old remains, finding trauma can be difficult.
Using data submitted through GEDmatch and Family Tree DNA, which are both online services that allow DNA testers to be compared to the DNA recovered through the 1921 Graves Investigation, Intermountain Forensics was able to contact several individuals who share a portion of their DNA with Burial 3. Utilizing DNA testers as a starting point, Intermountain Forensics researched and contacted people and reference tested willing participants until they were able to narrow their focus to the Daniel family. This is a process that took a significant amount of time. Using genealogical research from family lines of those DNA reference testers, three brothers from around the time of the Tulsa Race Massacre were identified.
While Burial 3 is likely that of C. L. Daniel, the only member of his family we know was in Tulsa, Burial 3 is C. L. or one of his brothers (due to the amount of DNA shared among siblings). Regardless of C. L.’s connection to Burial 3, he is confirmed to be a Tulsa Race Massacre victim due to the documentation found this week. Work is ongoing to determine the stories of C. L.’s siblings.
“Not everything that is faced can be changed,” Tulsa Race Massacre Descendant Brenda Nails-Alford said. “But nothing can be changed until it is faced. Just keep living, and you’ll understand.”
"This is the first time that any unit of American government has intentionally sought to locate and identify the remains of historic victims of racial violence in the United States,” said Scott Ellsworth, the historian and Tulsa native who launched the search for the unmarked graves in 1999. “That the DNA and genealogical team was able to identify Mr. Daniel's remains is both an astonishing research achievement, and a crucial step in addressing the harm that was done more than one hundred years ago."
Family Notification & Next Steps
The City of Tulsa and Intermountain Forensics are thankful for all of the DNA testers and now-confirmed next of kin family members who engaged with the work and felt comfortable sharing their stories. Their willingness to participate in the process has led to the first of hopefully many identifications in the 1921 Graves Investigation.
Prior to media and public notification, the City of Tulsa and Intermountain Forensics contacted the next of kin. Due to the sensitive nature of the Investigation and out of respect for the families, their names, locations, and other personal information are not being shared at this time.
The City of Tulsa is working to solidify next steps when it comes to organizing proper burial for C. L. Specifics will depend entirely on the wishes of C. L.’s next of kin. Because the findings are new and the circumstances regarding each next of kin family member is different, this process is expected to take some time. It’s of note that C. L. is still resting in the spot where he was found in Oaklawn Cemetery.
The City of Tulsa remains committed to providing the families and descendants of each burial from the 1921 Graves Investigation with the support they need to assist in the proper burial, potential repatriation, and eventual memorialization of their ancestors.
Fourth Excavation Planned at Oaklawn Cemetery
Due to recent findings and following receipt of the latest Oaklawn Cemetery summary report and proposed next steps from the Oklahoma Archaeological Survey, the City of Tulsa and field experts will begin a fourth excavation at Oaklawn Cemetery starting the week of July 22.
The 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, the largest updates of which pertain to two burials:
Burial 45 - After continued research into exhumed remains from past excavations, Burial 45 from the 2022 excavation appears to have been exposed to burning postmortem. The burial was a male in a plain wooden casket too small for his length.
Burial 101 – Continued research also suggests Burial 101 from the September 2023 excavation may have evidence of a possible gunshot wound. In their research, the forensic team detected metallic particles near the humerus, potentially consistent with a gunshot wound, but not definitive.
Currently, there are four burials with evidence of trauma or possible trauma. Burials 42 (gunshot victim from second excavation), 45, 101, and 27 (gunshot victim from first excavation) are not all located next to one another and were found in three separate areas. Considering the evidence that Burial 3 is C. L. Daniel or one of his siblings, there is a high likelihood that any remains with trauma in previously excavated areas could be additional Tulsa Race Massacre victims.
Recommended Next Steps at Oaklawn Cemetery
The archaeological and forensic team recommends extending three different excavation blocks for a new excavation at Oaklawn Cemetery, namely:
Process at Oaklawn Cemetery
Starting Monday, July 22, Oaklawn Cemetery will be closed to the public. Prior to work, crews will work to remove the oak tree on the southwest corner of cemetery. It’s of note that the oak tree was planted sometime between 1995 and 2003, meaning there is no significance of the tree to the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. The tree will be carefully removed prior to work to make way for the City’s fourth excavation.
A news conference and guidelines regarding the excavation will be provided prior to the start of the excavation. During the course of their work, experts intend to work daily excluding weekends. Hours may fluctuate based on the weather and daily tasks, but archaeologists and field experts intend to start initial work the week of July 22. Work could take upwards of three weeks.
Additional Genealogy Updates
In May, the City of Tulsa announced progress being made in the genealogical work being done to identify exhumed remains from Oaklawn Cemetery. Updated surnames and locations of interest were announced. As part of that update, a genealogy profile was announced for Burial 45. With recent findings that Burial 45 has trauma consistent of exposure to burning postmortem, the burial is the first with trauma to have a genealogy profile associated with it.
Surnames and locations of interest for Burial 45 include "Suggs" from Edgecombe County, North Carolina, and "Hamilton," "Brooks," and "Thomas," of Eufaula (Barbour County), Alabama. If you believe you have these surnames and locations of interest in your family tree, you are encouraged to reach out to Intermountain Forensics, the laboratory and genealogical research team assisting the City in this work. You can share more information with Intermountain Forensics by visiting www.tulsa1921dna.org.
To see the complete list of genealogy profiles created from the remains exhumed at Oaklawn Cemetery, visit www.cityoftulsa.org/1921graves.
Emmett Till Grant
The City of Tulsa is in the early implementation phase of the Emmett Till Grant – a three-year, $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in partnership with Greenwood Cultural Center and Intermountain Forensics, the laboratory assisting the City with DNA and genealogical analysis for the 1921 Graves Investigation. The work through the grant is known as the Community Engagement Genealogy Project (CEGP).
CEGP consists of the following, all of which are underway and planned:
Tulsa Police Department training will be held on genealogy to help the department further understand the Tulsa Race Massacre and historical trauma as it relates to their job and Tulsa’s Black community. This work is in the planning phases and will be taught by Intermountain Forensics and Greenwood Cultural Center. Preliminary training is expected to start in the coming months.
Genetic Genealogy Workshops are planned for an invite-only group beginning in August. Workshops hosted at Greenwood Cultural Center will be led by Alison Wilde of Intermountain Forensics and local genealogists. The workshops aim to introduce participants to genealogy software and resources that will assist them in better understanding their connection to the Tulsa Race Massacre and their own family histories. Subsequent genealogy workshops will be available to the public.
An Exhibit at Greenwood Cultural Center named “Gathering Greenwood” is being designed and will be an interactive exhibit about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, survivors, and descendants. It will house a permanent exhibit that will allow community members to explore and research their own family genealogy with an onsite library. Per grant requirements, an exhibit will need to be completed by the end of 2025, with components that include both an exhibit that stays at Greenwood Cultural Center, and one that will travel. Planning work is underway to determine what the exhibit could look like.
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