ATLANTA — A new documentary on the Atlanta Race Massacre premiered on Sept. 22.
Sept. 22 also marks the 117th anniversary of the massacre.
The film is called "(re)Defining History." It was made in collaboration with The National Center for Civil and Human Rights Museum, WABE and the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society.
Pat Walker Bearden and Yolanda Simmons are descendants of a survivor, Alex Wesley Walker.
"We're here, today, to honor and celebrate and elevate his memory," Bearden said.
Bearden said her father described Alex as strong-willed.
"Papa didn't take no mess," Bearden said, "And I want people to realize that our people fought back as best they could."
When most people think of the massacre, they remember the violent mobs of white Americans attacking and killing Black Atlantans after the city's newspaper published false allegations of Black men raping four white women.
Bearden said Alex never backed down. He got his gun, defended his family and even spent some time behind bars because of it. The massacre changed the trajectory of his life.
Alex's story is one of the many Darrin Sims tried to tell in a new way.
"This documentary is years in the making." Sims said. "Because of research, because of collaboration partnership, identifying descendants."
Sims said new technology helped make this storytelling possible--the stories of Walter White and the stories of the victims in the unmarked graves whose pages are still unwritten.
Bearden wants the next generation to know the truth.
"I want them to think about their own stories," Bearden said. "I want them to see what our people went through and be proud of their people and that all our stories matter."
The film also digs into how political leaders played a part in an effort to disempower the Black vote. Their efforts eventually led to the death of at least 25 Black people, many of whom are still unknown.
Though chunks of history are missing, Sims said he's on the hunt.
"We have to continue to tell this story, honestly, until we uncover every piece of it," Sims said.
You can watch the documentary on Sunday on WABE or stream it on YouTube on Monday. It runs for about half an hour.