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Democracy NC Hosts “Wilmington on Fire” Screening, Discussion with Director Chris Everett

 

MORRISVILLE, NC (2/19/2021)—”Wilmington on Fire is a new feature-length documentary that chronicles The Wilmington Massacre of 1898. The Wilmington Massacre of 1898 was a bloody attack on the African-American community by a heavily armed white mob with the support of the North Carolina Democratic Party on November 10, 1898 in the port city of Wilmington, North Carolina. It is considered one of the only successful examples of a violent overthrow of an existing government and left countless numbers of African-Americans dead and exiled from the city. This event was the spring board for the White Supremacy movement and Jim Crow segregation throughout the state of North Carolina and the American South. This incident has been 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 became known to the general public.

Democracy NC is honored to host this important documentary detailing the horrific events of the Wilmington Massacre of 1898. On February 26, Desmera Gatewood, Democracy NC Voter Outreach Coordinator, met with director Chris Everett to gain insight into how the film was created, and to discuss how we must work towards building accountability, and a system of justice and reparations for the families and victims who lost their lives that day.

Watch "Wilmington on Fire"

Watch the documentary in whatever way works best for you.

Watch Now: Discussion with the Director

Watch our live discussion with director of the film, Chris Everett.

Official Wilmington on Fire Trailer

Rosewood has long been infamous, but Wilmington came first and was even more devastating in its effects. In a five-year passion project that consumed all his resources, director Christopher Everett amassed rare photographs, original research, and testimonies from historians, researchers and descendants of the victims to uncover a shocking event that marked a turning point in the politics of the post-Reconstruction South.

Director of "Wilmington on Fire", Chris Everett

Christopher Everett is a Durham-based producer and director of the award-winning documentary film Wilmington on Fire. He is the Founder and President of Speller Street Films, North Carolina’s premiere film production and distribution company and currently works with Full Frame Documentary Film Festival as the Communications Manager. His notable awards include Best Local Independent Film from Encore Magazine (2016) and Best Director First Feature Documentary from Pan African Film Festival (2017). Christopher is currently filming his next two documentaries, Wilmington on Fire: Chapter 2 and Grandmaster which looks at the legacy of martial arts pioneer Vic Moore.