Tulsa Mayor Unveils 'Kavin Ross Drive' Street Sign In Emotional Ceremony

A new street sign at 11th and Peoria designating "Kavin Ross Drive" was installed Friday, to honor a man who was instrumental in the search for victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre before his death in May.

“Their families will be able to know what happened to their ancestors because of the difference that Kavin made,” said Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum, in a ceremony at Tracy Park with Ross’ family attending, including the patriarch, Representative Don Ross.

“I am incredibly proud of my brother and what he's done,” said Ed Ross, speaking about the legacy of his brother, Kavin Ross. He helped document the history of race massacre survivors and pushed for the search for mass graves, as chair of the Public Oversight Commission.

“And in the process of doing that, Kavin went from a man recording history to a man who made history,” Mayor Bynum said.

Representative Ross helped create the state commission that did the first state-level examination of the massacre and helped inspire the later work of Kavin, according to his friend, Bobby Eaton. “His concern about the mass graves was like his baby. It was a project he was into.”

“He spent countless nights and days working on this project, so everybody would know where they came from,” said his sister Donna Ross, while brother Ed said, “I don't know if any one person could replace the love and energy that he had.”