american coup wilmington 1898 

directed by brad lichtenstein and yoruba richen

you can watch the full film on PBS website – link in copy below

the film, which is a part of american history seldom displayed, tells the little-known story of a deadly race massacre and carefully orchestrated insurrection in north carolina’s largest city (wilmington) in 1898 — the only successful coup d’état in the history of the united states to date. 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. the film is available on pbs website for viewing,