History’s Secrets Revealed by Artists Collaborating
One of the reasons we bring Artists and Writers together for our Southern Studies Fellowship is for them to have the time and resources to tell us stories rooted in the South that we would otherwise never know. Stories that we SHOULD know.
Wilmington On Fire is one of those stories. Our collaborative team of visual artist/filmmaker Sarah Nixon and writer Desiree Evans, Fellows from CCC's Southern Studies Fellowship in Arts and Letters, is the bridge that reached out to director Christopher Everett to bring his award-winning documentary to Spartanburg for a free screening.
WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT? In 1898, Wilmington was North Carolina's largest city, with a majority black population, a thriving black middle class, and an integrated Republican-Populist fusion government. On November 10, an armed mob of white supremacists opened fire on African American neighborhoods, slaughtering hundreds and driving thousands out of the city for good.
Director Christopher Everett created the eye-opening documentary Wilmington On Fire. Our resident Fellows Sarah and Desiree collaborated with Christopher and brought the film to our area and on our radar. Most people had no idea of what occurred just 300 miles away from Spartanburg in 1898. With that in mind, Sarah and Desiree saw an opportunity to fulfill their requirement of providing educational community service to Spartanburg County by shedding light on the inspiring work found in Christopher's documentary, while shedding light on a Southern history secret.
Learn more about Sarah, Denise, and our Southern Studies Fellowship in Arts and Letters by going here.
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Watch "Wilmington On Fire" on Amazon Prime Video: https://amzn.to/40ogfda