The world premiere of the long-awaited documentary about one of the most iconic events in Atlanta history took place this week. The film will be released on March 21, 2024, on Hulu.
Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told found an audience in Austin. The documentary aims to make a statement about the good ol’ days when educated Black folks could unite and let loose and be their most authentic selves. On the surface, Freaknik sounds fun — dancing and meeting other college students from all walks of life. But as you dive deeper into the history of it, the event becomes a little sordid and disreputable.
From executive producers “Uncle” Luke Campbell, Jermaine Dupri, and 21 Savage comes a well-crafted documentary full of archival footage and interviews from some of the top names in hip hop. Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told is a celebratory exploration of the boisterous times of Freaknik, the iconic Atlanta cookout and street party that drew hundreds of thousands of people in the ’80s and ’90s. Many credit Freaknik for putting “Hotlanta” on the map culturally.
The film highlights what began as a Historically Black College and University student and African American youth picnic and quickly became known for highway hookups, late-night parties, and booty-shakin.’ Although the last “party” was two decades ago, the infamous legacy still resonates with those who attended or lived in Atlanta. Some have more positive memories than others.
Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told is told through the lens of hip-hop culture. It features some of the top hip-hop artists and has a fantastic soundtrack to boot. The film highlights and reminds audiences that Freaknik was a carefree space and moment that celebrated and promoted Black excellence, joy, and resilience. While the documentary does its best to uplift and leave a positive review of Freaknik, the film needs more research and less of the male gaze.
Although the film mentions that Freaknik was rooted deep in its history of Civil Rights, with a focus on thriving Black leadership and Black education, there was not enough information given or explored in this area for context. The spring break festival was supposed to challenge the racial dynamics of Atlanta, but as the festival grew, it began to cast a dark cloud over it all. There was disagreement and outrage over the economic well-being of the city. After challenging the politics and financial elites of Atlanta, Freaknik supporters, organizers, and participants were defeated by city leaders in a place that was primarily viewed as a Black Mecca. The lack of historical context minimizes the rise and fall of this cultural stage. Freaknik was supposed to be a celebration of Black culture. In 1983, the year following that first small picnic hosted by Spelman and Morris Brown students and had been shared via word of mouth, Black folks were making history.
In 1983, Georgia native Alice Walker became the first African American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her novel The Color Purple, Chicago elected the first Black mayor, the first African American astronaut went to space, the first Black person was crowned Miss America, and Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday became a federal holiday. Freaknik made more sense when it was a cookout celebrating Black excellence and education, especially when you add the history behind hip hop coming to Atlanta in the late 1980s.
But this history doesn’t hit, and the idea of Freaknik doesn’t immediately resonate. At first, the hip-hop music in Atlanta was considered a version of “Miami Bass” or “booty music,” but it gradually developed its own personality, giving rap a Southern twist that stood out from the hip-hop movement in Los Angeles and New York, cultivating Atlanta’s music scene. Combine all of that, and you have Freaknik. But Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told doesn’t do enough to establish this as a credible event that we should take stock of from beginning to end, appreciating its rise and fall.
Was Freaknik shut down by “the man” because it was spreading too much Black love and positivity, or was it shut down because it became too chaotic, dangerous, and violent? There are conversations in Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told about 1996 Mayor Bill Campbell and the tension between the Black community and the white community in Atlanta over the social and economic infrastructure of their city. There are comparisons between Freaknik and Daytona Beach spring break. Why is one tolerated over the other? Is race a factor?
In one interview, a woman talks about her assault one year at Freaknik. Men ripped her clothes off. Her saving grace is someone yelling, “Police.” She makes a point to clarify that it was not rape, but it could have led to that. The film suggests that this was when Black women saw their sexuality. There was sexual freedom and agency and a liberation to express themselves without backlash. With the majority of the interviewees being male, this came off as a bit gross and misogynistic.
Towards the end of the film, it is suggested that Freaknik became more about the “Freak” and less about the “nik” (picnic). According to some footage, the event became disrespectful and wasn’t fun anymore. Women were deciding not to attend the following year because there was a feeling there was this degradation of women and fear of being sexually assaulted.
I had never heard of Freaknik. While I was intrigued at first, Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told didn’t share anything that would make me happy about learning about this event. I’m sure Freaknik started as a fantastic event for everyone. I mean, there had to be a reason people flocked to Atlanta. Perhaps this documentary wasn’t made for me. Maybe this glazed snapshot of Freaknik is for those who are not only unfamiliar with the event but with Black and hip-hop culture as well.
Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told had its world premiere at the 2024 SXSW TV & Film Festival.
