Hulu's Highly Anticipated "Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told"

“Girl, you know you look so cute, ridin’ ‘round town in ya Daisey Dukes.”—Hoochie Mama, 2 Live Crew

From Picnic to Freaknik to Iconic, Freaknik, a portmanteau of freaky and picnic, was a Black and HBCU cultural event, spanning from the early 80’s until the end of the 90’s. The annual spring break block party began at the Atlanta University Center and ended up on popular Atlanta streets such, as Moreland and Memorial.

Freaknic was founded in 1983 by students of the DC Metro Club, which was a state social club comprised of students attending the (AUC) Atlanta University Center. Freaknic received its name from the 1978 funk-disco record, Le Freak by CHIC. Viewers will get to hear from DC Metro Club members/OG Freaknic creators, Emma Horton, Amadi Boon, Monique Tolliver, and Sharon Toomer, as they share why they created the event, its original intent and even how it got its name. In the early 80s, it was a true college event—cool, calm, and collected, attended by students from across the country. By the late 80s and early 90s, it got wet and wild, shifting from a college picnic to the must-see party of the year and when Luke “Uncle Luke” Campbell started attending, he ushered in the freakiness. The name was eventually changed from Freaknic to Freaknik. It is as if the shift from c to k summoned the freaks to come out from far and wide to commune together in ATL.

Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told, is the highly anticipated and had many people intimidated, documentary that premiers on March 21st. The project was written by African American Female Writer, Producer, Director and 3x NAACP Image Award Winning Supervising Producer, Deshawn Plair. She has contributed to other critically acclaimed series such as, “Unsung” and “American Gangster: Trap Queens.” From Mass Appeal in association with Swirl Films, Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told, is executive produced by the legendary, Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell, the iconic Jermaine Dupri, and Grammy Award recipient, 21 Savage. Geraldine L. Porras served as Freaknik’s showrunner, and the documentary was directed by P. Frank Williams. The film is produced by Jay Allen and Nikki Byles of Swirl Films.

Sheen Magazine spoke with Deshawn Plair about the intention of finally telling the stories of the wildest party never told and what to expect. “When the announcement was dropped last year, I think there was a generation that was nervous because they thought the documentary would be an exposé,” says Deshawn, “Viewers can expect a very celebratory documentary and they will learn the origin story of what the experience was like during that time in Atlanta.” The award-winning producer dispels the former and confirms the latter, ensuring that the documentary will be an edutaining trip down memory lane.

The Freaknik cultural phenomenon was extremely important to the Black expression of sex, fun, and joy. Deshawn says it allowed students and attendees to release some of their inhibitions and to explore different things. Hundreds of thousands of people, some catching flights even, descended upon the streets of Atlanta every third week in April to participate. The iconic block party encouraged togetherness and communion amongst one another. Black Women and Men were freely expressing themselves, especially following the restrictive, fearful, and deadly Civil Rights Movement. “When this Black joy erupted, people began to flock in droves.”

When good things flow, isn’t it lovely? However, when the wretched ebb occurs, things can get ugly. Dark clouds formed over Freaknik, when various reports of sexual assaults surfaced, coupled with influx of crime associated with the event in the city of Atlanta. “The dark side of it comes with how far is too far?” Freaknik was a poppin’ picnic, with the hottest music, the liveliest people, various vibes, and freedom on display, providing an outlet for Melanated people in the Black Mecca of Atlanta. The unadulterated truth of the ups and downs of all of those elements are explored further in Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told on March 21st via Hulu.

Tap in with Deshawn Plair via social media @deshawnplair