LeBron James Partners with CNN to Create Documentary on 1921 Tulsa Massacre

Lakers superstar LeBron James will not remain idle after winning an NBA championship. Instead, the nation’s premier social justice athlete will join forces with CNN to create a new documentary about the 1921 Tulsa Massacre.

James’ production company, SpringHill, announced this week that, Dreamland: The Rise and Fall of Black Wall Street, a film focused on the 1921 race riots in Tulsa, was in the works.

“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,” said Jamal Henderson, the chief operating officer of SpringHill.

LeBron James will serve as an executive producer for the film.

The Tulsa Massacre was sparked by a report of a black man assaulting a white woman in an elevator. The violence, which began outside the Tulsa City Jail, quickly spread to the nearby black neighborhood of Greenwood. The area was known as “Black Wall Street” due to the number of black middle-class families who lived there. That area, however, soon became a killing ground as a mob of armed whites descended on the community. Though figures vary widely, it is believed that anywhere from 150-300 people, primarily blacks, were killed there during an 18-hour span from May 31-June 1.

“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,” Henderson continued.

“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.”

Amy Entelis, a CNN Worlwide executive, shared her exuberance over the project as well.”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.”

The documentary is expected to be released sometime in 2021.