Rosewood has long been infamous, but Wilmington came first and was even more devastating in its effects. In 1898, Wilmington was North Carolina's largest city, with a majority black population, a thriving black middle class, and a biracial Republican-Populist fusion government. On November 10, an armed mob of Democrat-backed white supremacists opened fire on African American neighborhoods, slaughtering hundreds and driving thousands out of the city for good.

In a five-year passion project that consumed all his resources, director and producer Christopher Everett amassed rare photographs, original research, and testimonies from historians and descendants of the victims to uncover a shocking event that marked a turning point in the politics of the post-Reconstruction South.

Documentary

Wilmington on Fire

Christopher Everett

Pete Chatmon

David West

Tariq Nasheed

Larry Reni Thomas

Umar Johnson

Lerae Umfleet

Dr. Lewin Manly

Faye Chaplin

Sandy Darity

North Carolina Black Film Festival

Best Director First Feature Documentary 2017

Pan African Film Festival