The 1898 Wilmington Massacre and Media Lies | Wilmington News

Wilmington News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Aug 6, 2026 · 1m

In 1898, white supremacists in Wilmington orchestrated a violent coup and massacre, fueled by media propaganda that falsely blamed Black residents for rising crime. Historians and educators are now confronting this dark chapter, revealing how Democratic newspapers weaponized misinformation to justify violence — including the forced resignation of officials at gunpoint, not public demand. Black-owned businesses were destroyed, including the Daily Record, whose editor Alexander Manly fled for his life; his family later donated rare copies of the paper to the Cape Fear Museum, though they remain…