Editing Tulsa race massacre (section)

==Post-commission actions==

===Search for mass graves===
The Tulsa Race Massacre Commission arranged for archaeological, non-invasive [[Survey (archaeology)|ground surveys]] of [[Newblock Park]], Oaklawn Cemetery, and Booker T. Washington Cemetery, which were identified as possible locations for [[mass grave]]s of black victims of the violence. [[Oral history|Oral histories]], other sources and timing suggested that whites would have buried blacks at the first two locations; black people were said to have buried black victims at the third location after the riot was over. The people who were buried at Washington Cemetery, which is reserved for black people, were probably thought to be those victims who had died of their wounds after the riot had ended, since it was the most distant suspected burial location from downtown.

Investigations of the three potential mass grave sites were performed in 1997 and 1998. Even though the total area of all three of these locations could not be surveyed, preliminary data suggested that they contained no mass graves. In 1999, an eyewitness who had seen whites burying black victims at Oaklawn Cemetery was found. A team investigated the potential area with more equipment. In the end, searches for mass graves were made with the aid of technology that included [[ground-penetrating radar]], followed by [[Core sample|core sampling]].<ref name="ExpertsReport">{{cite news |url=https://www.tulsaworld.com/archive/tulsa-race-riot-experts-provide-findings-to-panel/article_1c4a2597-e0f5-5081-a2d0-1854e72a49db.html |title=Tulsa Race Riot: Experts provide findings to panel |newspaper=Tulsa World |publisher=Randy Ktehbiel, Tulsa World, December 6, 2000 |access-date=February 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200217215120/https://www.tulsaworld.com/archive/tulsa-race-riot-experts-provide-findings-to-panel/article_1c4a2597-e0f5-5081-a2d0-1854e72a49db.html |archive-date=February 17, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> The experts' report, presented to the Commission in December 2000, could not substantiate claims of mass graves in Oaklawn Cemetery, Washington Cemetery, or Newblock Park.<ref name="ExpertsReport" /> A promising spot in Washington Cemetery had turned out to be a layer of clay, and another promising spot in Newblock Park had turned out to be an old basement.<ref name="ExpertsReport" /> The suggestion that the bodies had been burned in the city [[Incineration|incinerator]] was also considered unfeasible and discounted, given the incinerator's capacity and logistical considerations.<ref name="ExpertsReport" />

In preparation for the 100th anniversary of the massacre, state archaeologists, using ground-penetrating radar, probed Oaklawn Cemetery for "long-rumored" mass graves.<ref>{{cite news |title=They was killing black people |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |first=DeNeen L. |last=Brown |date=September 28, 2018 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2018/09/28/feature/they-was-killing-black-people/ |access-date=October 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191009085734/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/local/wp/2018/09/28/feature/they-was-killing-black-people/ |archive-date=October 9, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> Mayor [[G. T. Bynum]] calls it "a murder investigation".<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |title=Tulsa searches for graves from 1921 race massacre that left hundreds of black people dead |first=DeNeen L. |last=Brown |date=October 8, 2019 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/10/08/tulsa-searches-mass-graves-race-massacre-that-left-hundreds-black-people-dead/ |access-date=October 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191009132014/https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/10/08/tulsa-searches-mass-graves-race-massacre-that-left-hundreds-black-people-dead/ |archive-date=October 9, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> After input from the public, officials from the Oklahoma Archeological Survey used three subsurface scanning techniques to survey Newblock Park, Oaklawn Cemetery, and an area known as The Canes along the [[Arkansas River]].<ref name="Search">{{cite news |last1=Canfield |first1=Kevin |title=1921 Tulsa Race Massacre graves investigation oversight committee to meet Monday |url=https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/government-and-politics/tulsa-race-massacre-graves-investigation-oversight-committee-to-meet-monday/article_876d63a2-7cd8-5d5a-8afd-4e23a68c8f5f.html |work=Tulsa World |date=February 2, 2020 |access-date=March 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200302195833/https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/government-and-politics/tulsa-race-massacre-graves-investigation-oversight-committee-to-meet-monday/article_876d63a2-7cd8-5d5a-8afd-4e23a68c8f5f.html |archive-date=March 2, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> The Oklahoma Archeological Survey subsequently announced that they were discontinuing search efforts at Newblock Park after not finding any evidence of graves.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tulsa Race Massacre graves committee meets again tonight |url=https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/tulsa-race-massacre-graves-committee-meets-again-tonight/article_8d939dd0-9942-5a2b-979d-ba412d0248d3.html |work=Tulsa World |date=March 2, 2020 |access-date=March 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200302195831/https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/tulsa-race-massacre-graves-committee-meets-again-tonight/article_8d939dd0-9942-5a2b-979d-ba412d0248d3.html |archive-date=March 2, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> On December 17, 2019, the team of [[Forensic archaeology|forensic archaeologists]] announced that they had found anomalies consistent with that of human-dug pits beneath the ground at Oaklawn Cemetery and the ground where the [[Interstate 244]] bridge crosses the Arkansas River. They announced that the anomalies are likely candidates for mass graves, but further radar surveys and physical excavations of the sites are needed.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Deneen L. |title=In Tulsa, an investigation finds possible evidence of mass graves from 1921 race massacre |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/12/16/tulsa-moves-closer-learning-if-there-are-mass-graves-race-massacre/ |access-date=December 17, 2019 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=December 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191217022327/https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/12/16/tulsa-moves-closer-learning-if-there-are-mass-graves-race-massacre/ |archive-date=December 17, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> Researchers secured permission to perform "limited excavations" from the city and as a result, they will be able to determine what the contents of these sites are, beginning in April 2020, and while they do not expect to dig up any human remains, they asserted that if they find any human remains in the course of their excavations, they will treat them with the proper respect.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/tulsa-plans-to-dig-for-suspected-mass-graves-from-a-1921-race-massacre/ar-BBZCrew |title=Tulsa plans to dig for suspected mass graves from a 1921 race massacre |first=DeNeen |last=Brown |date=February 4, 2020 |access-date=February 4, 2020 |work=[[MSN]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200204050652/http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/tulsa-plans-to-dig-for-suspected-mass-graves-from-a-1921-race-massacre/ar-BBZCrew |archive-date=February 4, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> An initial dig at a suspected area of the Oaklawn Cemetery in July 2020 found no human remains.<ref>{{cite news |first=DeNeen L. |last=Brown |date=July 22, 2020 |title=Tulsa's first dig for suspected mass graves from 1921 massacre of black people finds no human remains |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2020/07/22/tulsa-dig-mass-graves-race-massacre-no-bodies/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724092901/https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2020/07/22/tulsa-dig-mass-graves-race-massacre-no-bodies/?outputType=amp |archive-date=July 24, 2020 |access-date=October 6, 2023 |newspaper=The Washington Post |language=en}}{{cbignore }}</ref>

On October 21, 2020, a forensic team said that it had unearthed 11 coffins in Oaklawn Cemetery; records and research suggested that as many as 18 victims would be found. The forensic team will need to do more work in order to determine if the coffins contain the remains of massacre victims. As stated by Kary Stackelbeck, a state archaeologist, the remains will not be moved until they can be properly exhumed because their deterioration needs to be prevented. She also stated that the site where the remains were discovered "constitutes a mass grave.... We have a high degree of confidence that this is one of the locations we were looking for. But we have to remain cautious because we have not done anything to expose the human remains beyond those that have been encountered."<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/21/us/tulsa-massacre-coffins-grave.html |title=Mass Grave Unearthed in Tulsa During Search for Massacre Victims |first=Ben |last=Fenwick |newspaper=The New York Times |date=October 22, 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Mudd |first=Cassidy |date=October 21, 2020 |title=Mass grave found during search for 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre victims |url=https://ktul.com/news/local/mass-grave-confirmed-at-oaklawn-cemetery |access-date=October 27, 2020 |publisher=KTUL }}</ref> The team planned to exhume the remains in June 2021.<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 26, 2021 |title=Tulsa massacre: The search for victims, 100 years on |language=en-GB |publisher=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57244863 |access-date=May 27, 2021 }}</ref> Forensic anthropologist [[Phoebe Stubblefield]] later planned to analyze the remains in order to determine if they are the remains of people who were killed in the 1921 massacre. In June 2021, after scientists resumed work at the site, 35 coffins were recovered from the mass grave. The remains of 19 people were taken to an on-site science lab. Officials stated that they have completed a preliminary analysis of nine of those human remains.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/06/26/tulsa-massacre-body-found-bullet/ |title=Scientists excavating Tulsa Race Massacre site unearth skeleton with bullet wounds |newspaper=The Washington Post |last=Brown |first=DeNeen L. |date=June 26, 2021 |access-date=July 30, 2021 }}</ref>

Stackelbeck announced in September 2023 a completed survey identified 59 gravesites, 57 of which were previously undiscovered. Seven sets of remains were recovered, each found in simple wooden boxes.<ref>{{cite news |title=7 sets of remains exhumed, 59 graves found after latest search for remains of the Tulsa Race Massacre victims |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tulsa-race-massacre-victims-seven-sets-remains-exhumed/ |access-date=October 1, 2023 |work=www.cbsnews.com |date=September 30, 2023 }}</ref> [[C. L. Daniel]] was the first victim identified in July 2024 from the remains exhumed.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Burch |first1=Audra D. S. |title=The Search for Tulsa Massacre Victims Finally Reveals a Name |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/12/us/tulsa-massacre-victim-identified.html |access-date=July 13, 2024 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 12, 2024 }}</ref> He was a World War I veteran from Georgia who was a resident of Utah.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kemp |first=Adam |date=July 12, 2024 |title=A World War I veteran is the 1st Tulsa Race Massacre victim to be identified in city's yearslong investigation |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/a-world-war-i-veteran-is-the-1st-tulsa-race-massacre-victim-to-be-identified-in-citys-yearslong-investigation |access-date=August 6, 2024 |website=PBS News |language=en-us }}</ref> By August 3, 2024, remains believed to be two additional victims of the riot were found.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 3, 2024 |title=Third set of remains found with gunshot wound in search for 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre graves, state official says |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tulsa-race-massacre-third-set-of-remains-found/ |access-date=August 6, 2024 |website=CBS News |language=en-US }}</ref> By August 16, 2024, the remains of eleven riot victims had been recovered from Oaklawn Cemetery<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 17, 2024 |title=search-finds-3-more-tulsa-race-massacre-victims-with-gun-wounds |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/search-finds-3-more-tulsa-race-massacre-victims-with-gun-wounds/7746519.html |access-date=August 17, 2024 |website=VOA News |language=en-US }}</ref>

===Reconciliation===
In March 2001, each of the 118 known survivors of the riot still alive at the time, the youngest of whom was 85, was given a gold-plated medal bearing the state seal, as had been approved by bi-partisan state leaders.<ref name="news6">{{cite news |url=http://www.newson6.com/story/7685080/survivor-medals-for-race-riot-victims |title=Survivor Medals for Race Riot Victims |work=News on 6 |date=March 26, 2001 |access-date=December 31, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170101002121/http://www.newson6.com/story/7685080/survivor-medals-for-race-riot-victims |archive-date=January 1, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Tulsa Reparations Coalition]], sponsored by the Center for Racial Justice, Inc., was formed on April 7, 2001, to obtain [[restitution]] for the damages suffered by Tulsa's black community, as recommended by the Oklahoma Commission.<ref>{{cite web |date=April 23, 2014 |title=The Tulsa Reparations Coalition |url=https://tulsareparations.z19.web.core.windows.net/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140423170245/http://www.tulsareparations.org/ |archive-date=April 23, 2014 |access-date=February 6, 2017 }}</ref>

On June 1, 2001, Governor [[Frank Keating]] signed the ''1921 Tulsa Race Riot Reconciliation Act'' into law. The act acknowledged that the event occurred but failed to deliver any substantial [[Reparations (transitional justice)|reparations]] to the victims or their descendants. In spite of the commission's recommendation for reparations in their report on the riot, the Oklahoma state legislature did not agree that reparations were appropriate and thus did not include them in the reconciliation act.<ref name="kos 2012-06-30">{{cite web |url=http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/6/30/1104681/-The-Tulsa-Race-Riot-of-1921-and-justice-delayed-but-the-fight-goes-on |author=Expat Okie |title=The Tulsa Race Riot of 1921 – justice delayed, but the fight goes on |work=Daily Kos |date=June 30, 2012 |access-date=December 31, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170101003252/http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/6/30/1104681/-The-Tulsa-Race-Riot-of-1921-and-justice-delayed-but-the-fight-goes-on |archive-date=January 1, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> The act provided for the following:
* More than 300 college scholarships for descendants of Greenwood residents;
* Creation of a memorial to those who died in the riot. A park with statues was dedicated as [[John Hope Franklin]] Reconciliation Park on October 27, 2010, named in honor of the notable African-American historian from Tulsa;<ref>{{cite web |title=John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park |url=http://www.jhfcenter.org/reconciliation-park/ |access-date=June 25, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110324041438/http://www.jhfcenter.org/reconciliation-park/ |archive-date=March 24, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> and
* Economic development in Greenwood.<ref>{{cite news |last=Schmidt |first=Peter |date=July 13, 2001 |title=Oklahoma Scholarships Seek to Make Amends for 1921 Riot |work=The Chronicle of Higher Education |url=http://chronicle.com/weekly/v47/i44/44a02203.htm |url-access=subscription |access-date=May 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020917132258/http://chronicle.com/weekly/v47/i44/44a02203.htm |archive-date=September 17, 2002 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Survivors' lawsuit===
Five survivors, represented by a legal team that included [[Johnnie Cochran]] and [[Charles Ogletree]], filed suit against the city of Tulsa and the state of Oklahoma (''Alexander, et al. v. Oklahoma, et al.'') in February 2003, based on the findings of the 2001 report. Ogletree said the state and city should compensate the victims and their families "to honor their admitted obligations as detailed in the commission's report".<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0318,brune,43725,1.html |first=Adrian |last=Brune |title=A Long Wait for Justice |date=April 30, 2003 |newspaper=The Village Voice |access-date=May 11, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070820003710/http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0318,brune,43725,1.html |archive-date=August 20, 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref> The federal district and [[appellate court]]s dismissed the suit on the grounds that a recommendation was not an "admitted obligation" and noting the [[statute of limitations]] had been exceeded on the 80-year-old case.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ca10.washburnlaw.edu/cases/2004/09/04-5042.htm |title=04-5042 – ''Alexander v. State of Oklahoma'' – |date=September 8, 2004 |quote=D.C. No. 03-CV-133-E |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070425041844/http://www.kscourts.org/ca10/cases/2004/09/04-5042.htm |archive-date=April 25, 2007 }}</ref> The state requires that civil rights cases be filed within two years of the event. For that reason, the court did not rule on the issues. The [[Supreme Court of the United States]] declined to hear the appeal.

In April 2007, Ogletree appealed to the [[United States Congress|U.S. Congress]] to pass a bill extending the statute of limitations for the case, given the state and city's accountability for the destruction and the long suppression of material about it. The bill was introduced by [[John Conyers]] of Michigan and heard by the [[United States House Committee on the Judiciary|Judiciary Committee of the House]] but it did not pass, because of concerns about [[Ex post facto law|ex post facto]] legislation.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=070425_1_A1_World21100 |first=Jim |last=Myers |title=Race riot bill gets House hearing |work=Tulsa World |date=April 25, 2007 |access-date=May 11, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927002302/http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=070425_1_A1_World21100 |archive-date=September 27, 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park===

A park was developed in 2010 in the Greenwood area as a memorial to victims of the riot. In October 2010, the park was named for noted historian [[John Hope Franklin]], who was born and raised in Tulsa.<ref name="News6">{{cite news |url=http://www.newson6.com/story/13396011/tulsas-john-hope-franklin-reconciliation-park-to-be-dedicated |title=Tulsa's John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park Dedicated |work=News on 6 |date=October 27, 2010 |access-date=December 31, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161022093336/http://www.newson6.com/story/13396011/tulsas-john-hope-franklin-reconciliation-park-to-be-dedicated |archive-date=October 22, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> He became known as a historian of [[Southern United States|the South]]. The park includes three statues of figures by sculptor [[Ed Dwight]], representing ''Hostility'', ''Humiliation'' and ''Hope''.<ref name="mullins">{{cite news |url=http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/7/19/survivors-of-infamous1921tulsaraceriotstillhopeforjustice.html |first=Dexter |last=Mullins |title=Survivors of infamous 1921 Tulsa race riot still hope for justice |work=Al-Jazeera America |date=July 19, 2014 |access-date=December 31, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630034204/http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/7/19/survivors-of-infamous1921tulsaraceriotstillhopeforjustice.html |archive-date=June 30, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Renewed calls for restitution===
An extensive curriculum on the event was provided to Oklahoma school districts in 2020.<ref>{{cite news |last=Querry |first=K. |date=February 19, 2020 |title=Oklahoma state leaders to roll out new curriculum on Tulsa Race Massacre |url=https://kfor.com/hidden-history/oklahoma-state-leaders-to-roll-out-new-curriculum-on-tulsa-race-massacre/ |access-date=February 20, 2020 |publisher=KFOR-TV |language=en-US |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220151027/https://kfor.com/hidden-history/oklahoma-state-leaders-to-roll-out-new-curriculum-on-tulsa-race-massacre/ |archive-date=February 20, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref>

On May 29, 2020, the eve of the 99th anniversary of the event and the onset of the [[George Floyd protests]], [[Human Rights Watch]] released a report titled "The Case for Reparations in Tulsa, Oklahoma: A Human Rights Argument", demanding reparations for survivors and descendants of the violence because the economic impact of the massacre is still visible as illustrated by the high poverty rates and lower life expectancies in north Tulsa.<ref>{{cite news |date=May 29, 2020 |title=Human Rights Watch calls for Tulsa Race Massacre reparations a century after violence |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2020/05/29/human-rights-watch-calls-tulsa-race-massacre-reparations-century-after-violence/ |access-date=May 29, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200531102225/https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2020/05/29/human-rights-watch-calls-tulsa-race-massacre-reparations-century-after-violence/ |archive-date=May 31, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref> Several documentary projects were also announced at this time with plans to release them on the 100th anniversary of the event, including ''Black Wall Street'' by [[Dream Hampton]], and another documentary by Salima Koroma.<ref>{{cite web |last=Smith |first=Michael |date=June 5, 2020 |title=From 'Watchmen' to new film projects and more, the Tulsa Race Massacre will become a growing part of worldwide popular culture ahead of the 2021 centennial |url=https://www.tulsaworld.com/entertainment/from-watchmen-to-new-film-projects-and-more-the-tulsa-race-massacre-will-become-a/article_34ef0d05-50b0-55d6-97c8-9f2b3524531c.html |access-date=June 9, 2020 |work=[[Tulsa World]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609213026/https://www.tulsaworld.com/entertainment/from-watchmen-to-new-film-projects-and-more-the-tulsa-race-massacre-will-become-a/article_34ef0d05-50b0-55d6-97c8-9f2b3524531c.html |archive-date=June 9, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In September 2020, a 105-year old survivor of the massacre, [[Viola Fletcher]], filed a lawsuit with two other survivors against the city for reparations caused by damages to the city's black businesses.<ref>{{cite news |title=Survivors of 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre file lawsuit seeking 'relief,' victims fund |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/survivors-1921-tulsa-race-massacre-file-lawsuit-seeking-relief-victims-n1239102 |access-date=September 10, 2020 |publisher=NBC News |language=en }}</ref>

In 2021, Oklahoma librarians persuaded the [[Library of Congress]] to change the official subject headings, which place limits on the terms that people are allowed to use whenever they conduct searches for some of the information, for the event from "riot" to "massacre".<ref>{{cite news |title=Library of Congress agrees to change subject heading from 'Tulsa Race Riot' to 'Tulsa Race Massacre' |url=https://kfor.com/news/local/library-of-congress-agrees-to-change-subject-heading-from-tulsa-race-riot-to-tulsa-race-massacre/ |access-date=March 24, 2021 |agency=Oklahoma's News on 4 }}</ref>

On May 19, 2021, survivors Fletcher, then 107; her 100-year-old brother, Hughes Van Ellis; and 106-year old Lessie Benningfield Randle testified about their experiences during the massacre and their reparations lawsuit before a House Judiciary subcommittee.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=DeNeen |date=May 19, 2021 |title=One of the last survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre – 107 years old – wants justice |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/05/19/viola-fletcher-tulsa-race-massacre-survivor/ |access-date=May 19, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Victor |first=Daniel |date=May 20, 2021 |title=At 107, 106 and 100, Remaining Tulsa Massacre Survivors Plead for Justice |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/20/us/tulsa-massacre-survivors.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20211228/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/20/us/tulsa-massacre-survivors.html |archive-date=December 28, 2021 |url-access=limited |access-date=May 20, 2021 |issn=0362-4331}}{{cbignore }}</ref> The lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice in July 2023, but in November 2023, their lawyers appealed that decision to the Oklahoma Supreme Court.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Burch |first=Audra D. S. |date=November 7, 2023 |title=Nearing Her 109th Birthday, and Still Waiting for Her Day in Court |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/07/us/tulsa-race-massacre-lawsuit-oklahoma-supreme-court.html |access-date=November 10, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 }}</ref>

On June 12, 2024, the [[Oklahoma Supreme Court]] affirmed the dismissal of the lawsuit, effectively concluding the suit. The Court dismissed the lawsuit stating that although the grievances submitted by the plaintiffs were legitimate, they concluded that Oklahoma's public nuisance statute did not apply to them.<ref>{{cite news |last=Burch |first=Audra D. S. |date=June 12, 2024 |title=Oklahoma Supreme Court Dismisses Tulsa Massacre Lawsuit |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/12/us/oklahoma-supreme-court-tulsa-massacre-lawsuit.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240612171920/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/12/us/oklahoma-supreme-court-tulsa-massacre-lawsuit.html |archive-date=June 12, 2024 |access-date=June 12, 2024 |website=The New York Times |language=en-US }}</ref> Their testimony of the three survivors coincided with pending resolutions before the U.S. House and Senate Judiciary Committees that propose federal recognition of the centennial of the massacre on May 31 and June 1.<ref>{{cite news |last=Casteel |first=Chris |title=Congress to discuss Tulsa Race Massacre as 100-year anniversary approaches |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2021/05/15/us-congressional-subcommittee-to-hear-from-tulsa-race-massacre-survivors/5112877001/ |access-date=May 19, 2021 |website=The Oklahoman |language=en-US }}</ref>

In September 2024, the Department of Justice opened a federal review of the massacre under the [[Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sarnoff |first1=Leah |last2=Cruz |first2=Abigail |title=DOJ announces first-ever federal review of 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre |website=ABC News |date=October 1, 2024 |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/doj-announces-federal-review-1921-tulsa-race-massacre/story?id=114371787 |access-date=October 1, 2024 }}</ref> The report was released on January 10, 2025, which found that "the massacre was the result not of uncontrolled mob violence, but of a coordinated, military-style attack on Greenwood".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/10/tulsa-race-massacre-report-doj |title=DoJ releases its Tulsa race massacre report over 100 years after initial review |first=Adria |last=Walker |date=January 10, 2025 |access-date=January 11, 2025 |work=[[The Guardian]] }}</ref>

Tulsa's ongoing Beyond Apology Commission is tasked with improving economic mobility and the building of inter-generational wealth for survivors of the massacre and was reported by ''The New York Times'' to be planning new housing benefits in January 2025.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Rushmore |first1=Visuals by Joseph |last2=Burch |first2=Text by Audra D. S. |date=January 19, 2025 |title=More Than a Century After the Tulsa Race Massacre, One Question Endures: What Is Justice? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/card/2025/01/19/us/tulsa-race-massacre |access-date=January 19, 2025 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 }}</ref>

=== House Bill 1775 ===

In 2021, Oklahoma Governor [[Kevin Stitt]] signed [[Oklahoma House Bill 1775 (2021)|Oklahoma House Bill 1775]] into law. The bill is typically referred to as a ban on critical race theory. The bill has created confusion for educators regarding classroom content about the Tulsa race massacre. When asked about the impact of the bill on instruction around the massacre, State School Superintendent Ryan Walters said, "I'd say you'd be judgmental of the issue of the action, of the content of the character of the individual, but let's not tie it to the skin color and say that the skin color determined that." In response to criticism of his remarks, Walters said that he was "referring to individuals who carried out the crime … They had evil, racist intentions and murdered people … They didn't act that way because they were white, they acted that way because they were racist", and that students "should be able to learn that history".<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Altschuler |first1=Glenn C. |first2=David |last2=Wippman |date=July 16, 2023 |title=Oklahoma is turning a blind eye on its own history |url=https://thehill.com/opinion/education/4098537-oklahoma-is-turning-a-blind-eye-on-its-own-history/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240708203053/https://thehill.com/opinion/education/4098537-oklahoma-is-turning-a-blind-eye-on-its-own-history/ |archive-date=July 8, 2024 |access-date=February 26, 2025 |work=The Hill |language=en-US }}</ref> Walters' confusing responses illustrate the ambiguity of the bill's language resulting in concerns for educators as the stakes are high for violating the statute. The future of education on this topic remains unclear, as the bill is facing several legal challenges.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Federal Court Partially Halts Oklahoma's Classroom Censorship Law |url=https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/federal-court-partially-halts-oklahomas-classroom-censorship-law |access-date=February 26, 2025 |website=American Civil Liberties Union |language=en-US }}</ref>