The
Laura & L.D.
Nelson
Foundation
A Nonprofit Organization
In Sacred Memory
May 25, 1911
We honor Laura Nelson and her son L.D. Nelson, whose lives were taken by racial terror. Their story must never be forgotten, and their legacy compels us toward justice.
About the Foundation
The Laura & L.D. Nelson Foundation
A 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization · EIN: 41-4803041 · All donations are tax deductible.
The Laura & L.D. Nelson Foundation is dedicated to preserving and elevating the story of Laura Nelson and L.D. Nelson, whose brutal 1911 lynching in Oklahoma remains one of the most haunting and historically significant acts of racial terror in American history.
Through education, public programming, artistic expression, and historical preservation, the foundation seeks to ensure that their lives and deaths are never forgotten and remain central to ongoing conversations about social injustice, systemic racism, and police brutality in America.
The foundation also supports projects such as the documentary Looking for Laura Nelson, which explores the lasting impact of the Nelsons' lynching, the generational trauma carried by descendants, and the broader cultural significance of their story in the fight for racial justice and historical truth.
In addition, the foundation is committed to uncovering lost family connections through genealogical research and DNA testing, helping descendants reclaim ancestral ties and restore identities disrupted by generations of racial violence, displacement, and silence.
Our Mission
Preserving Truth,
Demanding Justice
The Laura & L.D. Nelson Foundation exists to ensure that the lives and deaths of Laura Nelson and her son L.D. Nelson are never erased from the American conscience. We are committed to preserving their memory through education, art, historical documentation, and advocacy.
Our mission is to confront the painful truths of racial terror in America, honor its victims with dignity, and channel that reckoning into meaningful action for equity and justice today.
Our Vision
A World Transformed by Memory
01
A Nation That Remembers
We envision an America that does not sanitize its history — one that holds space for grief, accountability, and reconciliation simultaneously.
02
Communities Empowered by Truth
We believe that when communities fully understand historical injustice, they are better equipped to dismantle the systems that perpetuate it.
03
Stories That Endure
We see a future where Laura and L.D. Nelson are known by name — where their story is taught in classrooms, explored in film, and memorialized in public spaces.
Okemah, Oklahoma — May 25, 1911
Historical Context
An Act of Terror
Carved into History
On May 25, 1911, Laura Nelson and her teenage son L.D. were taken from the Okfuskee County jail by a mob and lynched from a bridge over the Canadian River in Okemah, Oklahoma. Laura was also sexually assaulted. Postcards of the lynching were circulated as souvenirs.
Their deaths occurred in the heart of the Jim Crow era — a period defined by systemic disenfranchisement, racial terror, and state-sanctioned violence against Black Americans. No one was ever prosecuted. Their names were nearly lost to history.
Through remembrance comes understanding; through understanding comes justice; through justice comes healing.❞
Laura & L.D. Nelson Foundation
The Stakes
Why This Work Matters
Unfinished Justice
The perpetrators of Laura and L.D. Nelson's lynching were never held accountable. Their story represents thousands of similar cases where racial terror went unpunished and unacknowledged.
Living Descendants
The trauma of racial violence does not end with death. Descendants carry the weight of severed histories. Our genealogical work helps restore what was taken — names, lineages, identity.
Ongoing Parallels
Police violence, systemic racism, and the devaluation of Black lives are not relics of the past. Understanding what happened to the Nelsons illuminates why this work is urgent today.
The Power of Memory
Societies that refuse to remember their worst acts are condemned to repeat them. Bearing witness — through art, education, and public memory — is an act of resistance and hope.
Community Engagement
Building Bridges Through
Memory & Dialogue
The foundation engages with the community through fundraising events and educational initiatives, aiming to foster dialogue about racial violence and its historical context. We believe that sustained, honest conversation is one of the most powerful tools for change.
Fundraising Events
We host community gatherings, benefit events, and fundraising initiatives that bring people together around a shared commitment to truth, memory, and justice.
Educational Initiatives
Through workshops, panel discussions, and school programs, we foster dialogue about racial violence, its historical roots, and its living legacy in American society.
Social Media & Awareness
We utilize social media platforms to amplify awareness, share resources, and connect with supporters across the country who are committed to this work.
Community Dialogue
Every program we create is designed not just to inform, but to open conversation — creating safe, honest spaces where communities can grapple with history and envision a more just future.
Documentary Film
Looking for Laura Nelson
A film that explores the lasting impact of the Nelsons' lynching, the generational trauma carried by descendants, and the broader cultural significance of their story in the fight for racial justice and historical truth.
Visit the Film Website
Stage Production
Not a Relic of the Past.
A Reflection of Our Present.
Lynching wasn't just murder — it was a system. This powerful stage production exposes the roots of racial terror and its undeniable connection to the present day, drawing directly from actual pre-trial transcripts and historical documents.
This play revisits the lynching of Laura and L.D. Nelson not as a relic of a distant past, but as a mirror reflecting the roots of racial violence in America. Each performance is followed by a post-performance community dialogue, turning the theater into a space for reflection, reckoning, and action.
Learn.
Reflect.
Act.
Our Pillars
Our Work
Historical Preservation
Supporting research, documentation, and archival projects that preserve the truth of what happened.
Artistic Expression
Funding films, documentaries, plays, exhibits, and books that tell Laura and L.D.'s story with dignity.
Education
Creating workshops and educational programs that connect historical injustice to contemporary issues.
Social Justice
Inspiring courageous leadership and advocacy for racial equity and systemic change.
Join Us
Help Sustain This Memory
By fostering creative and educational endeavors, we seek to inspire courageous leadership and meaningful dialogue about racial justice, historical accountability, and the ongoing struggle for human dignity and equality.