We invite you to attend a screening and panel discussion on the new American Experience / PBS documentary American Coup: Wilmington 1898. The screening will take place on the campus of Christopher Newport University at 12:00 pm on April 15, 2025. Thanks to support from CNU's College of Arts and Humanities, boxed lunches will be provided free of charge for all attendees (including students, teachers, and staff).

American Coup: Wilmington 1898 tells the little-known story of a deadly race massacre and carefully orchestrated insurrection in North Carolina’s largest city in 1898 — the only coup d’état in the history of the US. Stoking fears of “Negro Rule,” self-described white supremacists used intimidation and violence to destroy Black political and economic power and overthrow Wilmington’s democratically-elected, multi-racial government. Black residents were murdered and thousands were banished. The story of what happened in Wilmington was suppressed for decades until descendants and scholars began to investigate. Today, many of those descendants — Black and white — seek the truth about this intentionally buried history.

This film screening and panel discussion are a part of the 2025 Hampton Roads Social Justice Conference, which is organized by Christopher Newport University's Center for Crime, Equity, and Justice and the Hampton Roads chapter of the Christian Community Development Association. This event is included with conference registration; no further action is necessary.

To bring a school group, click here to fill out the interest form.