World War I Veteran Identified as Victim of 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre

The first victim of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre has been identified as World War I veteran C.L. Daniel, bringing closure to his family after over a century of uncertainty. Using DNA from his brothers’ descendants, forensic experts were able to confirm his identity, marking a significant breakthrough in the ongoing search for victims of the devastating massacre.

The Tulsa Race Massacre, a long-suppressed episode of racial violence, saw a white mob massacre as many as 300 Black people over two days, destroying the thriving Black Wall Street community and displacing thousands of Black residents. The discovery of more than 120 graves in 2020 sparked a renewed effort to identify the victims and provide them with a proper burial.

Brenda Nails-Alford, a descendant of massacre survivors, expressed her emotions upon hearing the news of Daniel’s identification, calling it an “awesome day” that has been a long time coming. The identification of Daniel’s remains, the first to be directly linked to the massacre, was made possible by a 1936 letter from his mother’s attorney seeking veteran’s benefits.

Despite the fragmented nature of Daniel’s remains, forensic experts were able to confirm his identity, shedding light on the brutal events of the Tulsa Race Massacre. The search for victims will continue, with the next phase set to begin in July. Meanwhile, survivors of the massacre, Viola Fletcher and Lessie Benningfield Randle, are seeking justice through legal avenues and calling for a federal investigation into the unsolved crime under the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act of 2007.