American Coup: Wilmington 1898

Join Johnson Chapel AME Church, PBS North Carolina, and Working Films for a screening of American Coup: Wilmington 1898, a documentary that tells the little-known story of a deadly race massacre and carefully orchestrated insurrection in North Carolina’s largest city in 1898 — the only coup d’état in the history of the US.

American Coup: Wilmington 1898 shares the story of how 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.

Join us for this free screening and discussion to learn more about the massacre and coup, its place in US history, and its lasting impact. Together, we can ensure that the lessons of Wilmington’s past inform conversations around democracy today.

Host or Publisher Johnson Chapel AME Church