Nov 12, 2024 Story by: Editor
The American Coup: Wilmington 1898 uncovers the often-overlooked account of a violent race massacre and a meticulously planned insurrection that took place in North Carolina’s largest city in 1898. This event marks the only coup d’état in U.S. history.
Fanning the flames of fear about “Negro Rule,” white supremacists who openly identified with their cause used terror and violence to dismantle Black political and economic influence, ultimately toppling Wilmington’s democratically-elected, multi-racial government.
During this attack, numerous Black residents were killed, and thousands more were forcibly exiled. For many years, the truth of what occurred in Wilmington was suppressed, but as time passed, descendants and scholars began to dig into the history. Today, many of those descendants—both Black and white—are on a quest to uncover the truth about this deliberately concealed chapter in history Source: PBS
