It’s been 100 years since the Tulsa Massacre of 1921, a horrific event that uprooted the progress of the community that was known as “Black Wall Street.” Stopping progress in its tracks, destroying families and displacing residents, the events were covered up to such an extent that the mass graves of the dead are still in question today. In National Geographic Documentary Films’ newest feature, Rise Again: Tulsa and the Red Summer, audiences follow a reporter as she examines the events leading up to May 31st, 1921, along with a look at modern day racism in America to see how much has really changed.
(National Geographic)
While Tulsa is likely the main draw for viewers, Rise Again spends a good chunk of its runtime covering the events leading up to that disaster. Journalist DeNeen Brown is your guide as she takes you through other examples of race riots leading up to that infamous night. The “Red Summer” mentioned in the title covers several months of disturbing violence by white mobs against Black communities in cities across the country.
Along DeNeen Brown’s journey, as captured by director Dawn Porter, the journalist meets with researchers and historians who have painstakingly documented what could be uncovered from each event. With mainstream newspapers’ misrepresentation of the events to fit a different narrative, they’re sometimes pulling from rare Black newspaper coverage from the day and the memories of survivors who have shared their stories.
The other part of the title, “Rise Again,” has two profound meanings for the documentary. The first is that it draws direct parallels to the events of 100 years ago with more recent modern day crimes of racism. The other is a little more cryptic, with footage from archeological excavations from July 2020 in Tulsa in an effort to locate the mass grave sites and bring a resolution to the families and descendants of the victims of the Tulsa Massacre.
Rise Again: Tulsa and the Red Summer brings to light events that were so shameful that they were left out of American history books and truth seekers were gaslit. It’s astounding to see how such small events could escalate into so much hatred and violence. But at the same time, it’s a call to action to not let history repeat itself and to stand up for what’s fair and just.
Rise Again: Tulsa and the Red Summer premieres Friday, June 18th, on National Geographic and Hulu.
5/5 stars.