"Wilmington On Fire,"

A Documentary

Unveiling Major Massacre

Of Black Township In NC

With Pete Chatmon Producing,

Needs Your Help

Blogs by Cynthia Reid | January 19, 2012

Every now and then, I come across projects that send me on a fervent Google search for info and that was the case with filmmaker Christopher Everett's Wilmington On Fire, a documentary in development detailing a little-known, bloody massacre that took place in North Carolina in 1898.

The project, which has Pete Chatmon attached as an executive producer, is a feature-length documentary that will give a historical and present day look at the Wilmington Massacre of 1898 and how the descendants of the victims of the event are asking for legal action in regards to compensation / reparations.

So what exactly happened during this massacre?  On November 10, 1898 in the port city of Wilmington, North Carolina, a heavily armed white mob attacked and killed members of the black-majority city.  The event is not just considered a race riot but a coup d'etat since it's the only instance of a municipal government being overthrown in US history.

Most folks are familiar with massacres that took place in Tulsa and Rosewood regarding US history but not Wilmington.  Everett and Chatmon hope to enlighten the public regarding this historical event as stated on the Indiegogo page..."The purpose of the film is to educate and bring awareness to people of all racial, cultural and economic backgrounds on the importance, significance of this event in history and to present the story from an African-American perspective. This incident is barely mentioned and has been omitted from most history books. It was not until 2006, after the North Carolina General Assembly published a report on it, that the tragedy become known to the public. It was supposed to be a secret, and it was for over 100 years. The film features interviews from historians, authors, activists and actual descendants of the victims of the Wilmington Massacre of 1898."

Right now, they're fundraising to cover production cost such as film crew travel expenses and are looking to raise $3100.  You can help by donating to the project HERE as well as joining the Facebook page HERE.

Below is a teaser trailer.