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. 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. The screening will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at 5 p.m. in the Gaither Auditorium of the Museum of the Albemarle.
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 not aware of this important history, in part because it was intentionally buried. The more we learned, the more it became clear that all Americans need to know what happened.”
The screening will include North Carolina 2024 Teacher of the Year, Kim Jones, who will speak to available resources for educators to incorporate 1898 into lesson plans. These resources include a curriculum for incorporating the film into the classroom, as well as a virtual “Community of Practice” for continued support and conversations for teachers. This will be a place where teachers can go with questions as they undertake the curriculum.
A panel discussion and audience Q&A will follow the screening and will include three historians with Elizabeth City State University: Dr. Glen Bowman, Dr. Latif Tarik, and Dr. Tomiko Ballentyne. They will be joined by LeRae Umfleet, a historian and author featured in the film.
The American Coup: Wilmington 1898 screening and discussion will run from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25. Teachers and community members are invited to join us at 5 p.m. for refreshments before the event starts. More event details can be found here and more details about the documentary and educational resources can be found here.
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About PBS North Carolina
As North Carolina’s statewide PBS network serving the country’s third largest public media market, PBS North Carolina educates, informs, entertains and inspires its audience on air, online and in person. Through its unique partnership of public investment and private support, the network includes in-person engagement, digital-first social and online content delivery and four over-the-air channels: PBS NC, the North Carolina Channel, Rootle 24/7 PBS KIDS channel and the Explorer Channel. Its transformational events and content spark curiosity and wonder for all North Carolinians. Additionally, PBS North Carolina serves as the backbone for North Carolina’s state emergency services. To learn more about PBS North Carolina, visit pbsnc.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
About Working Films
Founded in 1999, Working Films is a national nonprofit organization based in North Carolina that leverages the power of documentary films to advance social justice and environmental protection. For more information, visit www.workingfilms.org.
About the Museum of the Albemarle
The Museum of the Albemarle is located at 501 S. Water Street, Elizabeth City, NC. (252) 335-1453. www.museumofthealbemarle.com. Find us on Facebook! Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Closed Sundays and State Holidays. Serving Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hertford, Hyde, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrrell, and Washington Counties, the museum is the northeast regional history museum of the North Carolina Division of State History Museums within the N.C.
Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, the state agency with the mission to enrich lives and communities and the vision to harness the state’s cultural resources to build North Carolina’s social, cultural, and economic future. Information is available 24/7 at www.dncr.nc.gov.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.
The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the N.C. Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.