MTV & Bassett Vance Productions prep Tulsa Race Massacre drama

L-R: Courtney B Vance & Angela Bassett

MTV Entertainment Studios and Bassett Vance Productions have teamed to produce a limited scripted series about the Tulsa Race Massacre penned by playwright Nathan Alan Davis.

Marking one hundred years since the tragedy, the as-yet-untitled project will be executive produced by Courtney B Vance and Angela Bassett as the first project from their prodco as part of the overall deal made with MTV Entertainment Studios last year.

The Tulsa Race Massacre in 2021 is considered to be the single worst incident of racial violence in American history, leaving hundreds of Black people dead and entire home and business destroyed.

This dramatic retelling will explore the stories of the people of Tulsa’s Greenwood district, which at the time was the wealthiest Black community in the US and known as ‘Black Wall Street’.

The project also marks Davis’ first time as show creator, having served as a writer for BET’s American Soul and Facebook Watch’s Sorry For Your Loss, as well as numerous stage productions, including a previous take on the Tulsa Massacre for his play The High Ground.

Meghan Hooper White, EVP and head of original movies and limited series and VP of original movies and limited series, Amal Baggar, will oversee the project for MTV Entertainment Studios. Dwayne Johnson-Cochran and Lynnette Ramirez will also executive produce for Bassett Vance Productions.

“As storytellers – together with Courtney, Angela and Nathan – we have the privilege of shining a light on a devastating event in our history that is important, necessary and still resonates 100 years later,” commented Nina L. Diaz, president of content and chief creative officer at MTV Entertainment Group. “This partnership underscores our shared commitment to raise diverse voices and create content our global audience is yearning for that is both timely and telling.”

This scripted series joins a bevy of projects marking the centenary of the Tulsa Race Massacre, including National Geographic’s two-hour special Red Summer, The SpringHill Company’s Dreamland: The Rise And Fall Of Black Wall Street and Cineflix Productions’ Black Wall Street.