What was Freaknik? Hulu documentary has TikTok user nervous: “We might be in trouble”

Hulu is set to launch a documentary titled Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told soon, featuring the infamous event and influential street parties from Atlanta. Since the announcement, people who attended the parties or knew about the event have been nervous. One TikTok user named Tina Body posted a few clips giving an idea to the later generation of what to expect.

She also shared her viewpoint on Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told. Tina admitted to being nervous as she, too, attended the parties and was worried that her clips would be part of the Hulu documentary.

In a clip, she said:

“We might be in trouble.”

Tina added:

“I’m just praying that Jesus be a fence. I’m praying that Jesus just be a big, tall privacy fence. That’s my prayer this Easter, this Good Friday.”

Freaknik was launched in the spring of 1983 at the Atlanta University Center. It was initially a “freaking picnic” where boys and girls enjoyed the season. As the years went by, the event turned into a wild party that brought a halt to the city. From vandalism and assaults to gunshots, the celebration took a darker route and was soon banned.

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Tiktoker Tina and many online users react to Hulu releasing Freaknik documentary

Hulu’s official description of the documentary describes what a viewer can expect from Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told. It reads:

“[The documentary] 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. Can the magic of Freaknik be brought back 40 years later?”

The peak came in 1994 and 1995 when things started to get ugly. By the late 1990s, the event was banned for life. Over the years, many tried to bring back the annual event, but all the efforts have been unsuccessful.

As Hulu announced a documentary on the same, many people, such as Tina, are nervous as they know the darker side of the party.

In her TikTok video, Tina said:

“That’s my prayer. I will say this, though, I will say this… like when they would bring out those video cameras and start recording, I immediately removed myself from that situation. If you see ya girl in the documentary, hey, man, at least I’m fully clothed.”

She continued:

“At least all my clothes is on. That’s all I got. That’s the best I got. But yeah, y’all, they ‘bout to put our business out in the street. Some of us might be on TV, so get your parental controls together.”

Netizens have responded to the latest Freaknik announcement as well. Some trolled Tina’s video saying that “aunties scared,” while some shared old clips from the event.

Take a look at people’s reactions:

Freaknik got a bad reputation around 1994-1995, but the idea behind starting the annual event was not chaotic. In a 2014 interview with AJC, one of the founders of the event, Sharon Toomer, said:

“I was disappointed by what it became. Its original purpose was to be an annual event to encourage camaraderie between historically Black colleges. It was a rare opportunity for Black college students to get together.”

The documentary is set to stream on Hulu. Atlanta rap legend and producer Jermaine Dupri and 2 Live Crew fame Luther Campbell are the show's executive producers. Geraldine L. Porras is the showrunner.

The release date is yet to be announced.