LeBron James, CNN to partner on Tulsa race massacre documentary
The SpringHill Company, founded by the star athlete, announced a partnership with CNN Films to produce the doc
Lebron James is on his way to bringing the story of Black Wall Street to the screen.
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Variety announced The SpringHill Company and CNN Films will produce Dreamland: The Rise and Fall of Black Wall Street. The documentary will examine the Tulsa Race Massacre that occurred in late May and June 1921 when white residents destroyed Black businesses and incited violence that resulted in death, destruction, and the demise of the Greenwood district, also known as Black Wall Street.
The film will include archival media, contemporary interviews, and narrated pieces such as letters and diary entries. Dreamland: The Rise and Fall of Black Wall Street, will also include footage of the ongoing search for physical evidence of the mass murder.
As theGrio reported, on Oct. 21, archeologists found at least ten bodies in an unmarked mass grave at a Tulsa cemetery as they search for the remains of victims of the racist attack.
“What we were finding was an indication that we were inside a large area … a large hole that had been excavated and into which several individuals had been placed and buried in that location. This constitutes a mass grave,” state archaeologist Kary Stackelbeck said.
According to Variety, the film is currently in production. It is directed and produced by Salima Koroma and executive produced by James and his business partner Maverick Carter. Jamal Henderson and Philip Byron of SpringHill, and Amy Entelis and Courtney Sexton of CNN Films are also listed as producers. Jamila Jordan-Theus and Patrick Altema of SpringHill are co-executive producers for the documentary.
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At SpringHill, we embody empowerment and focus on shining a light on stories that are the fabric of American history,” said Jamal Henderson, SpringHill’s chief content officer, according to Variety.
“We cannot move forward until we acknowledge our past and this is about honoring a prosperous, booming Black community, one of many, that was brought to an end because of hate. With the lack of historic journalism around ‘Black Wall Street’ and the Tulsa Massacre of 1921, we are honored to be partnered with CNN, which has a long-standing record of credible and groundbreaking journalism. We are bringing this documentary together with a diverse crew, including local Tulsans, and making it our mission to uplift voices and people while creating impactful content.”
CNN Films will be the television distributor throughout North America, and HBO Max has acquired streaming rights to the film, according to Variety. It is expected to be completed by early 2021.
According to theGrio, The SpringHill Company signed a four-year first-look deal with Universal Pictures.
“LeBron, Maverick, and the team at SpringHill are content creators with a purpose, and we’re excited to partner with filmmakers who challenge us to tell stories that move culture forward,” said Donna Langley, chairman of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, according to the report.
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