Here they go again, another group of people trying to tell the story of FREAKNIK from the outside looking in. For all of you who don't know me, I am RONN GREENE the person who led the group of people that drove Freaknik from 92-97. after first hearing about Hulu's plans to do a documentary, I sent them this letter I am reaching out to voice my concern about the upcoming HULU Documentary on FREAKNIK 94. For years, I have witnessed several people attempt to do documentaries on what they thought was the story of Freaknik. But in none of those stories has anyone actually got the true history of what it took to produce the vision I created for this event. In all their efforts, not one of them thought to ask me (the person who actually did it) how we pulled it all together. Now that they have been allowed to tell the story, will they be like all the ones before them, or will they be the ones to truly get it right by telling the real inside story of how we produced the event? Over the years every time someone is attempting to do something with the name Freaknik attached to it, someone calls me to ask if it was me that's doing it again. It is now everyone's choice to contact us, and get an award-winning story, or watch someone come after them and finally get my story, get the glory of the most in-depth account of what became the most important parts of the world's largest black college spring break ever. This message was necessary for several. reasons. Over the years, I have been asked the question many times, whatever happened to FREAKNIK, why doesn’t Atlanta hold the events anymore? People have asked me how it started, who started it, and so forth. Well, it is time that I answer all of everyone's questions. Now you may ask, what qualifies me to answer any question about FREAKNIK, well I will tell you a little about my involvement with the event. First, I may be one of the foremost experts on this subject, because I have a long and very intense history when it comes to FREAKNIK. In 1992. I was the production manager of the first organized festival, held at Lakewood Fairgrounds. In 1993 I was co-promoter of the event with Christina Kopeland. In that same year, I along with a partner (Diya Nabawi) would register the state-held Trademark on the name, which would change the spelling of the name forever (from Freaknic to Freaknik). We would be the first to license the use of the name Freaknik to a major merchandising manufacturer (Impact Produces), and with the assistance of Ricky Stephenson (Xtra Point Films) eventually have it placed in Target Stores across the state of Georgia. In 1994 I would become the Head promoter at Lakewood Fairgrounds, and in 1996 I alone with Tommie Butler CEO of Totadigi (his concept) developed the website FREAKNIK.COM, this website was said to have introduced more African Americans to the use of the internet than any other source that had existed at that time, an unheard-of 20 million unique visitors by the year 1997. We may have well been the platform for Facebook, (Feb 2004) Twitter (May 2006), and YouTube, (Feb 2005) little did we know then, but we introduced the first social networks at its earliest stages. [] Now what I plan to share from this point on is, our recollection of day one to now, and what we see for the future of the event. We will share with you our plans for the 42nd Anniversary in 2024, and our goals for 2027, This is F.R.O FREAKNIK RADIO ONLINE, BETTER MEDIA WORKS INC., and The Freaknik Store Online. And it's up to us to show the world that .... There was no way anyone could think that we didn't know what we were doing, (it was quite the opposite), we knew exactly where this event would go. I am RONN GREENE, and this will be "OUR STORY". Told for the first time by those of us who actually did it all. http://freaknikrdioonline.com
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