LeBron James has always been linked to the entertainment industry. In fact, one of the reasons that prompted him to sign for the Los Angeles Lakers was that this was located in California. Which for those who don’t know, LA is where his company SpringHill Entertainment’s headquarters is located.
James’ company, SpringHill Entertainment, announced it will produce a documentary based on the Tulsa Race Massacre. Furthermore, CNN Films will be the TV distributor for the documentary which HBO Max has already acquired streaming rights to. The name of the film SpringHill and CNN have partnered on is called, Dreamland: The Rise and Fall of Black Wall Street.
The Tulsa Race Massacre took place in the Oklahoma neighborhood of Greenwood in 1921. The massacre occurred when groups of the white American population attacked the black community. They set fires throughout the city, with more than 10,000 African-Americans being evicted.
Jamal Henderson, SpringHill’s chief content officer, stated the following on the Dreamland documentary.
“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.”
As for the deaths of the event, until this date, it has not been clear due to the lack of information. However, according to the Oklahoma Department of Vital Statistics, it was 39, but estimates among the community warn they were close to 300.
The documentary will include a mix of archival media, contemporary interviews, and narrated elements such as letters and diary entries. In addition, the SpringHill documentary will include evidence from the century-long search of the mass murder that some have tried to erase.
“CNN Films could not be more proud to partner with The SpringHill Company for this long-overdue recognition of the tragedy of what happened in Greenwood, and to contribute to the reconciliation that comes with the acknowledgment of history,” shared Amy Entelis. Entelis is the executive vp for talent and content development for CNN Worldwide and looking forward to the new partnership with SpringHill.
If all goes well, the documentary will be ready in early 2021 and we can all enjoy it.