Oklahoma Woman Discovers Tulsa Race Massacre Details In Her Grandmother's Journal Entry

A woman in Sequoyah County recently discovered a journal entry from her grandmother. In it, she writes about the Tulsa Race Massacre. 

Bernice Iantha Fuller is buried at Stevenson Cemetery in Gore. She was just nine years old in 1921, and now her granddaughter wants people to know what Bernice wrote about. 

"My mother and dad were married in Vian in 1900,” Bernice wrote. 

Susan Gilstrap discovered a photocopied journal entry tucked inside her mother's Bible cover. She found the papers after her mom died last month, and the Bible was passed down to her. 

"'I remember the Race Riot in 1921. I was nine years old,'” Susan said, reading Bernice’s words. 

In the journal entry, she shares details about her parents and her childhood. She also shares what she knew about the Tulsa Race Massacre, giving insight into a part of history that has missing pieces. 

"'My brother-in-law was a dump truck driver. And he said he hauled negros by the truckload and dumped them into the river. We heard the blacks from Muskogee and Taft were coming to help the Tulsans and the militia met them at Broken Arrow, I believe, and turned them back. I don't know how many died, but it was awful,'” Susan read from the papers. 

There is no date on the journal entry, but Susan believes Bernice wrote it in her 60s or 70s. It's unclear when Bernice's brother-in-law told her about what he did. 

"I just don't know. He was a dump truck driver, and it's terrible,” Susan said. 

Susan remembers interviewing her grandmother about the massacre for an 8th-grade report. 

"I knew she was there, but I never knew this,” she said. 

Bernice died in 1992. 

"Even to her dying day, she said it was senseless. She had no idea why that occurred. There was no reason for it. It was just awful,” Susan said. 

Susan knows where her ancestors are buried and wants descendants of the Race Massacre to have the same answers. She knows the information in her grandmother’s journal entry is slim, but felt inclined to share it. 

"There's people that don't know what happened to their grandfathers, their great grandfathers, their grandmothers. They're people,” she said. “They don't know what happened to them." 

The City of Tulsa released the following statement: 

“The 1921 Graves Investigation has been heavily based on the 2001 State of Oklahoma’s Commission Report, historical research and oral histories. From that information, experts determined the best locations for the investigation would focus on the research and feasibility of four areas in Tulsa: Oaklawn Cemetery, Newblock Park, Canes and Rolling Oaks Cemetery. As the investigation continues, it is of the utmost importance to receive additional oral histories and genealogical information that can help bring a better understanding to the investigation.”