The Coup That Succeeded—And Why We Must REIMAGINE History Before It Repeats

"Wilmington 1898 wasn’t just a coup—it was a warning. The forces that erased history are still shaping our future. Unless we expose the truth and disrupt the cycle, we will live it again. REIMAGINE isn’t a dream—it’s a necessity." - Mary Coughlin

The only successful coup in U.S. history wasn’t an attack on the federal government.
It was an attack on multiracial democracy.

It was Wilmington, 1898. And for decades, it was erased from history.

What Happened?

In the late 19th century, Wilmington, North Carolina, was a thriving, majority-Black city with a multiracial government. Black leaders held office. Black-owned businesses flourished. There was progress—a glimpse of what justice and equity could look like in America.

And that was exactly the problem.

White supremacists saw this success as a threat to their control.
They launched a violent coup, overthrowing the elected government by force.
They burned down Black-owned businesses and newspapers.
They murdered Black residents in the streets.
And then they rewrote history.

For decades, Wilmington 1898 was falsely called a "race riot"—as if it were some spontaneous outbreak of violence instead of a coordinated, premeditated attack on democracy itself.

Acknowledging My Position in This Conversation

I share this history not as an expert, not as someone who has lived this reality, but as someone committed to amplifying the truth.

As a white woman, I recognize that I have the privilege of learning this history rather than living it.
Silence perpetuates erasure, and justice requires truth.

This post is not mine to own—it is part of a larger, ongoing reckoning led by Black historians, journalists, and activists. If you want to learn more from those who have been doing this work for decades, I encourage you to follow and read:
📖 Dr. William Darity Jr. (expert on racial economic disparities & historical injustices)
📖 Dr. Keisha Blain (historian of Black activism & movements for justice)
📖 The Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) (truth-telling about racial terror & historical erasure)

Why This Matters Now

Because this isn’t just history.

The tactics of Wilmington 1898 never disappeared. They evolved.
The same forces of disinformation, voter suppression, and political violence are still used today to maintain power.
The cycle of progress met with backlash is still happening—because we have never truly reckoned with this history.

And that’s exactly why we must REIMAGINE.

REIMAGINE: Breaking the Cycle of Suppression

History doesn’t repeat itself by accident. It repeats because power protects itself.

So what do we do?

🚨 We expose the erasure. If we don’t name what happened, it will happen again.
🚨 We dismantle the lie that this is “just how the world works.”
🚨 We stop accepting oppression as inevitable and REIMAGINE something radically different.

Wilmington 1898 wasn’t just an event. It was a blueprint. And if we don’t disrupt it, it will keep shaping our future.

The Moment We Refuse to Accept the Cycle, We Become the Disruption.

They want us to believe power is unshakable. That change is impossible. That history is written in stone.

• But we know better.

• We know that the future is still ours to create.

• We know that REIMAGINE isn’t just a dream—it’s a necessity.

They erased Wilmington from history because they feared what it represented.
We are here to make sure they never erase the future we are building.

It’s time to disrupt. It’s time to REIMAGINE. Right here. Right now. Together.

In disruption & possibility,
Mary

P.S. What would a world built on justice—not control—look like to you? Drop your thoughts in the comments. Let’s REIMAGINE—together.