Past event
Featuring Nelson Oliver – Writer, Director & Producer | Actor Nathaniel Cullors (“Willie” in The Red Cape) | Actor Maxwell Paige (“The Reverend” in The Red Cape) | LeRae Umfleet – Historian & author of A Day of Blood: The 1898 Wilmington Race Riot | Cori Greer Banks, 8th grade educator | Moderated by Christie Norris, Director of Carolina K-12
The year is 1898; the place, Wilmington, NC. A young black child named Willie and his tenacious father, Monroe, struggle to survive against the mounting white supremacy campaign led by the silver-tongued orator, Alfred Waddell. Waddell seeks to disenfranchise the prosperous black community and overthrow the city’s biracial leadership. And though the insurrection and massacre the film portrays may seem like it could have been created by a team of dramatic Hollywood imaginations, it is actually based upon the very real events of the 1898 Wilmington coup and massacre – the only proven violent overthrow of a government in United States history.
Join Carolina K-12 and the North Caroliniana Society for a free, virtual matinee of the 40-minute poignant movie, The Red Cape, followed by a panel discussion addressing the film, the historical truths it is based upon, and why it is imperative to face this history in our classrooms.
While any educator (K-14) is welcome to participate, the material provided will be most relevant for grades 8 and higher. Community educators and individuals with interest in the film and/or topic are also welcome to register in order to learn about this hard (but necessary to face) event from our shared past.
***Please note that The Red Cape does portray the violence committed against black citizens in 1898, including murder, intense imagery, and racist hate speech. If rated, the film would be comparable to a PG-13 rating.***
The program will open with a welcome and overview, with the film beginning around 3:40 pm. The run-length of The Red Cape is 40-minutes, after which a panel discussion will start at 4:30 pm. Interested participants who have already seen the film are welcome to log in at 4:30 pm, to join for the discussion only.