Black History Month Cape Fear Stories: 1898 riots

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — For generations, a stain on Wilmington’s history was largely ignored, but in recent years this dark time has been brought into the light.

In 1898 African-Americans were a majority of Wilmington’s population and a big part of city government, but politics riled racist sentiment in many areas, including the Port City.

An editorial by Alex Manly, a black newspaper editor, and the response it received sparked the flames of conflict.

On November 10, 1898, white insurgents overthrew the elected government and forced black leaders, including Manly, out of the city.

Rioters burned down Manly’s newspaper, other black businesses, damaged black neighborhoods and killed many black residents across the Port City.

Over the years, different perspectives of the only successful coup in American history prevented a definitive telling of what happened.

But after the riot’s centennial, state leaders established a commission to correct that.

Today a memorial to the 1898 massacre stands at the corner of North 3rd and Davis Streets in Wilmington.

It has become a rallying place for many groups and often the site of protests and rallies far more peaceful than what led to its creation.