New Resource
I recieved a comment the other day from Larry Reni Thomas, a native black from Wilmington who has written two books related to the coup/massacre. He is also the founder of ICROW1898, Inc.--The International Organization for the Compensation and Reparation for the Wilmington Victims of 1898. He lives in Chapel Hill and would like to help us out by giving his own perspective of the Riots. Im not sure how but it seems that Larry knows our other interveiwees Sue Cody and Tim Tyson and does not support their position on the issue. He even said that Sue Cody and Tim Tyson are clearly not interested in reparations or compensation for the victims of the riot.
New Resource
On Friday I meet Lola Linda Sampson Franks James. Her family is one of the oldest black families living in Wilmington. Her family Has lived here since the 1700s. Her family was involved in the 1898 race riots. And she knows stories passes down orally from her family. She also knows places and other families that have information. As she has lived here she has observed the racism, progression and decline of communities in the area. She is very excited about sharing and documenting her information with us
Wilmington Race Riot - 1898/ Power Point
The following entry, titled the same, is a power point presentation by Le Rae S. Umfleet courtesy of the N.C. Office of Archives and History(link available). It offers an insightful overview of the historical and social conditions surrounding the 1898 "massacre." The prominent local and state figures, politically and otherwise, from both racial communities are highlighted. For those individuals acquainted with downtown Wilmington, certain names, locations, and images will strike an eerily familiar note. The presentation is straightforward but informative, and it will serve as a good place to begin for those less aware of the incident and the surrounding circumstances.
Interviews and Shooting Schedule
Tim Tyson - History professor - University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Sue Cody - Head-librarian at UNCW - Thesis written on the Wilmington Riots
Interview several people in the surrounding community
Friday - Sue Cody - 11am
Friday - afternoon - local interviews downtown
Shooting in Chapel Hill TBA and scheduled with Tim Tyson
http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/1898-wrrc/
http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/nc/bio/afro/riot.htm
http://www.baystatebanner.com/archives/stories/2006/02/020906-03.htm
UNCW newspaper archives
Sue Cody - Head-librarian at UNCW - Thesis written on the Wilmington Riots
Interview several people in the surrounding community
Friday - Sue Cody - 11am
Friday - afternoon - local interviews downtown
Shooting in Chapel Hill TBA and scheduled with Tim Tyson
http://www.ah.dcr.state.nc.us/1898-wrrc/
http://statelibrary.dcr.state.nc.us/nc/bio/afro/riot.htm
http://www.baystatebanner.com/archives/stories/2006/02/020906-03.htm
UNCW newspaper archives
To whom will this project be directed?
When posed with the question - To whom will this project be directed? - I thought to myself, "wow, this is a good question." To answer the question, our group had to determine what our objective is. We felt that it was important that this film make a change in Wilmington, and we realized that it was necessary for the film to reach the hands of those who can actually make a difference. We decided that the film was for the government and social activist groups. We intend to circulate the film in festivals, competitions and local screenings. We also intend to distribute the film to Social activist groups, and government committees that could use the information in the formation of their policies.
Observational Project - Angles and Intentions
The prioritized objective of this production project is not only to explore the historical fidelity and repugnance of the events surrounding the Wilmington race riots of 1898, but to also observe the disheartening consequences that reverberate throughout the community today. A popular, yet bewildering, sentiment amongst certain less-engaged, white southerners is that the racial crimes of the past are neatly sketched into history books with an obligatory tone of remorse, therefore they are wiped clean from our temporal reality. When addressed with issues such as affirmative-action or reparations, some individuals will respond with the rural cliche, "I didn't own slaves or run blacks out of town, so why should I have to pay?" Unfortunately, the reality is that the past is laced inseparably throughout our current racial relations and the socio-economic divide between races. In order to capture, or at least attempt, an honest inquiry into the 1898 Coup D'etat, we must explore the current reality of the African American community in Wilmington, NC.
As a production group, we will begin our motion film investigation by taking black & white, observational images with a 16 mm Bolex. We will work as a four man crew with divided responsibilities to capture spontaneous and hopefully unaffected images. The subject will be the African American communities of downtown Wilmington. Specifically, we will concentrate on the communities of Castle Street(South-side) and North Fourth Street. By taking an observational approach to the contemporary aspects of our research, we hope to attain a more realistic perspective than can be achieved through the analysis of statistics and scholarly data.
The content of the images will greatly depend on the randomness of occurrence. However, we have designed certain approaches and strategies to filming each atmosphere in order to capture a raw perspective without being intrusive or exploitative in regards to the individuals that live and work in the communities. We will observe the social and cultural realities of local residents and the physical atmosphere in which they live, including dilapidated structures, struggling local businesses, and homes. There is no doubt in our minds that the ensuing exploration will be dampened with sadness and possible resistance or discomfort, but there is also the potential of enlightening discoveries.
As a production group, we will begin our motion film investigation by taking black & white, observational images with a 16 mm Bolex. We will work as a four man crew with divided responsibilities to capture spontaneous and hopefully unaffected images. The subject will be the African American communities of downtown Wilmington. Specifically, we will concentrate on the communities of Castle Street(South-side) and North Fourth Street. By taking an observational approach to the contemporary aspects of our research, we hope to attain a more realistic perspective than can be achieved through the analysis of statistics and scholarly data.
The content of the images will greatly depend on the randomness of occurrence. However, we have designed certain approaches and strategies to filming each atmosphere in order to capture a raw perspective without being intrusive or exploitative in regards to the individuals that live and work in the communities. We will observe the social and cultural realities of local residents and the physical atmosphere in which they live, including dilapidated structures, struggling local businesses, and homes. There is no doubt in our minds that the ensuing exploration will be dampened with sadness and possible resistance or discomfort, but there is also the potential of enlightening discoveries.
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