Screening Of “American Coup: Wimington 1898” Explores History Of Massarce And Insurrection

SMITHFIELD – The Black History Committee of the Johnston County Heritage Commission, in partnership with PBS North Carolina and Working Films, invite 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 share the story of the massacre, its place in US history, and its lasting impact.

The screening will take place on Thursday, February 26, at the Smithfield Performing Arts Center, Downtown Smithfield’s former movie theater, at 141 S. Third Street.

American Coup: Wilmington 1898 documents the story of 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.”

There are several Johnston County connections to the story. Alexander Manly (1866–1944), an African American newspaper editor who was a primary target of coup organizers, was a Raleigh native who grew up near Selma. His brother John lived near Kenly, and his nephew Henry Manly was custodian at Meadow and Kenly schools prior to World War II. Another local connection is Dr. Crystal Sanders, an Emory University professor who grew up in Clayton, is one of several scholars narrating the story.

“We are honored to have Earl Ijames, Curator of African American History at the North Carolina Museum of History, along with Eugenia Ijames and Dr. Christopher Wyckoff from the Johnston County Career and Technical Leadership Academy, to lead our discussion after the screening,” said Denise Joyner, who will serve as moderator.

A screening of the early portion of American Coup: Wilmington 1898 and a panel discussion will run from 7:00 to 8:30 pm on February 26. A follow-up screening and discussion will take place the following Thursday, March 5, at 7 pm, in the Johnston County Museum, located at 329 E. Market Street.

Light refreshments will be served at both events.

More event details can be found at johnstonnc.gov/heritage, and more details about the documentary and educational resources can be found at https://www.pbsnc.org/watch/american-coup-wilmington-1898.