TULSA, Okla. — “She was a beautiful lady, she had 12 kids, and I’m the oldest boy.”
86-year-old Nathaniel Nash Jr. shared fond memories of his mother, Rush Dean Nash.
WATCH: PROTECTING LINEAGE: Greenwood certifies first Tulsa Race Massacre descendant
Ruth was one of the few survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. Nathaniel remembers hearing his mother’s stories about the events.
“When the massacre started, her and her mother was going to Muskogee… They were trying to duck all of this,” Nathaniel Nash said. “She said she was scared to death when that happened.”
Heather Nash is the Executive Director of the nonprofit, Greenwood Foundation. In February, she partnered with the Greenwood Cultural Center to certify descendants.
“I’ve asked people who have complained about not being able to be certified or recognized, and the paperwork is hard,” Heather explained. “They’ve got to find their land records, their death records, and they’re complaining and crying and upset because they want this to happen,” Heather said.
Currently, the certification holds no legal authority, but the process reviews and verifies the required documents.
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'Project Greenwood': Latest step towards justice for race massacre victims
Heather Nash, curious to know who the first certified descendant would be ahead of the anniversary, was overwhelmed to learn that her uncle was the first.
“I went into her office and said, ‘Hey, are we anywhere close to getting certified?’ She said, ‘Yes I got this stack here I’m actually getting close to finishing this guy up’. And so, I sat there and watched her for a little bit and I was like, ‘Who is it’? She said, ‘Nathaniel Nash.’ I was like, ‘That’s my uncle,’” Heather said.
Although difficult to discuss, protecting the lineage of Greenwood is everything to the Nash Family.
The Deep Greenwood Foundation is hosting a free, first-of-its-kind “Family Reunion” for Greenwood descendants on June 1. The goal is to unite, remember, rebuild, and reconnect.
For more info, click here.
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