Nostalgia for the 90s is all the rage right now. From music to fashion, the decade has experienced a renaissance in recent years. Thus, it only makes sense to do a documentary on one of the most iconic names of the decade. Freaknik was a street concert that took place in Atlanta during the 80s and 90s. Subsequently, the event has become one of the most discussed topics of the decade. Now, a new project seeks to tell the untold story of the event.
“Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told” will air on Hulu. According to Variety, the project "Recounts the rise and fall of a small Atlanta HBCU picnic that exploded into an influential street party and spotlighted ATL as a major cultural stage." The company did not announce when the documentary would be released. However, some Twitter users seem to be nervous about the contents of the new documentary. Comedian David Alan Grier tweeted his humorous reaction to the project, "On my way to court to get a cease and desist for this new Freaknik documentary," he said.
Freaknik Goes From Small Concert To Massive Event
Freaknik has its roots in historically black universities. The event was created in 1983 by students at Spelman College. Initially, it was conceived as a small picnic for students at Spellman and fellow Atlanta HBCUs, Morehouse, and Clark Atlanta. However, the event would explode in popularity during the 90s. During this time, the event evolved from a small picnic to a massive multi-day event. Subsequently, students from HBCUs across the country began to make the annual pilgrimage to Atlanta.
Freaknik undoubtedly made an indelible impact on black culture during the 90s. Many lifelong friendships were made at the event. Moreover, many festival-goers will tell you attending the event was among the happiest times of their lives. However, there was also an ugly side to the event. Women in particular reported sexual harassment from male festival-goers. Moreover, reported rapes and sexual assaults became commonplace. Subsequently, authorities in Atlanta intervened, and the festival was shut down in 1999. However, the event did make its triumphant return in 2021. That iteration of the festival was headlined by Atlanta native 21 Savage. It will be interesting to see how this new documentary balances the good and bad from the festival's 40-year history.
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