51 min
1. Mass Graves at Oaklawn Cemetery with Chief Amusan and Kavin Ross Public Secrets Podcast
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- History
In the aftermath of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, there were numerous accounts of the bodies of victims being hastily buried in mass graves at sites across Tulsa. Nearly 100 years later, the search for mass graves began at Oaklawn Cemetery.
In 2019, Tulsa mayor G.T. Bynum made a commitment to investigate the presence of mass graves at Oaklawn in an effort to provide closure and justice for the victims and descendants ahead of the Massacre Centennial. But what transpired was filled with controversy, and many feel that the promises made were misleading.
As part of the investigation, a group of activists, descendants, and historians formed the Mass Graves Public Oversight Committee in order to balance the actions of the government with the voice of the people most deeply affected by the tragedy.
Our guests today are Chief Amusan and Kavin Ross of the Mass Graves Public Oversight Committee.
Chief Amusan is the founder of the Tulsa African Ancestral Society and a descendant of the Tulsa Race Massacre. Kavin Ross is a longtime activist and journalist with the Oklahoma Eagle.
Our host is Michael Mason.
The Center for Public Secrets exists to explore the history of Tulsa that you didn’t learn in school. The articles, videos, podcasts, and exhibits that our volunteers create tell the most important stories from our past without being censored or influenced by big philanthropy.
To do this work, we need your support. Consider making a tax-deductible donation that will go directly into our operations budget that makes this programming possible.
Donate now at www.centerforpublicsecrets.org/donate
In the aftermath of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, there were numerous accounts of the bodies of victims being hastily buried in mass graves at sites across Tulsa. Nearly 100 years later, the search for mass graves began at Oaklawn Cemetery.
In 2019, Tulsa mayor G.T. Bynum made a commitment to investigate the presence of mass graves at Oaklawn in an effort to provide closure and justice for the victims and descendants ahead of the Massacre Centennial. But what transpired was filled with controversy, and many feel that the promises made were misleading.
As part of the investigation, a group of activists, descendants, and historians formed the Mass Graves Public Oversight Committee in order to balance the actions of the government with the voice of the people most deeply affected by the tragedy.
Our guests today are Chief Amusan and Kavin Ross of the Mass Graves Public Oversight Committee.
Chief Amusan is the founder of the Tulsa African Ancestral Society and a descendant of the Tulsa Race Massacre. Kavin Ross is a longtime activist and journalist with the Oklahoma Eagle.
Our host is Michael Mason.
The Center for Public Secrets exists to explore the history of Tulsa that you didn’t learn in school. The articles, videos, podcasts, and exhibits that our volunteers create tell the most important stories from our past without being censored or influenced by big philanthropy.
To do this work, we need your support. Consider making a tax-deductible donation that will go directly into our operations budget that makes this programming possible.
Donate now at www.centerforpublicsecrets.org/donate
51 min