The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, Museum of the Albemarle, and Elizabeth City State University, in partnership with PBS North Carolina and Working Films, invite teachers and community members to a free screening of American Coup: Wilmington 1898 screening. The film shares the little-known story of a deadly race massacre and carefully orchestrated insurrection in North Carolina's largest city, Wilmington, in 1898. The screening is part of a statewide effort to better equip educators to share the story of the massacre, its place in US history, and its lasting impact.
American Coup: Wilmington 1898 documents this story, which was the only successful coup d’état in the history of the US. Stoking fears of “Negro Rule,” self-described white supremacists used intimidation and violence to destroy Black political and economic power and overthrow Wilmington’s democratically-elected, multi-racial government. Black residents were murdered, and thousands were banished. The story of what happened in Wilmington was suppressed for decades until descendants and scholars began to investigate. Today, many of those descendants — Black and white — seek the truth about this intentionally buried history.
“American Coup: Wilmington 1898 is a cautionary tale about a breakdown of a cornerstone of our democracy: fair and free elections,” says Rachel Raney, PBS North Carolina’s Director of National Productions and co-executive producer of the film. “When we started researching these events in Wilmington, we quickly discovered that many North Carolinians are unaware of this important history, partly because it was intentionally buried. The more we learned, the more it became clear that all Americans need to know what happened.”
This screening will include special guests:
2024 North Carolina Teacher of the Year, Kim Jones
Providing available resources for educators to incorporate 1898 into lesson plans, including a curriculum for the film to the classroom and a virtual "Community of Practice" for continued support and conversations. Click for additional resources and information.
Dr. Glen Bowman, Dr. Latif Tarik, and Dr. Tomiko Ballantyne with LeRae Umfleet
These three Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) historians will provide a panel discussion and audience Q&A following the screening from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. along with LeRae Umfleet, another historian and author featured in the film.
Seating is limited; click the register link above to reserve your spot.