Despite a near-torrential rainstorm, more than 600 people piled into the venerable Grand Lake Theater on Friday night, for the premiere of the WWII historical drama “Red Tails.” The sold-out crowd - a second screening drew about 400 people, for about 1,000 total - was attempting to send a message to Hollywood: African American movies can be boffo box office hits. 

The impressive turnout was largely the result of an activist campaign begun just a week before by local organizers and promoted via social media. The campaign, organizers say, was spurred by a candid "Daily Show" interview with filmmaker George Lucas where the producer-director openly discussed the difficulties of trying to get “Red Tails” made over the past 23 years (a process satirized by the popular Internet meme, “Sh-- white Execs Said to George Lucas about Red Tails").

Lucas ponied up a whopping $58 million of his own money (plus $35 million in distribution fees) to bring the film, which fictionalizes the legendary Tuskegee Airmen squadron of African American fighter pilots, to theaters. Yet in doing so, Lucas also raised the possibility that if the movie flopped, the likelihood of Hollywood financing future black movies would lessen considerably.

As Effie Tesfahun, one of the organizers behind the Oakland effort, explained, “When [Lucas] said Hollywood does not want to touch black films, it really hit me … I thought we should get together and all go and support (this film). Regardless of what Hollywood thinks, we all want to see positive messages of black people in the movies.”

A social protest is not enough, Tesfahun said.

"We need to speak, and speak loud, and speak with our dollars, because that’s where people pay attention, when you start talking with your money," Tesfahun said. "We are sending a message that this is what we want.”

Tesfahun went so far as to liken the “Red Tails” campaign to the Occupy movement.

“When everybody decided to shut down the port, we know it made an impact dollar-wise, but the bigger impact was everybody showing up.”

Attica Georges, another of the organizers behind the campaign, said, “a lot of people understand what kind of an opportunity this is. Not only to honor the Tuskegee airmen but to have a high-profile film with an all-black cast with black screenwriters and a black director.”

After the screening, Oaklanders were eager to discuss the reasons why they came.

Oakollectiv co-owner Penelope Adibe saw Facebook posts about the campaign. She said she felt the film was important, “So we [can] have more black role models that kids can look up to growing up in the community.”

Richard “DJ Fflood” Wright admits he “was a bit on the fence because I don’t usually watch war movies.” He decided to attend “when I saw so much community was coming out, that was actually the selling point for me.”

Shilanda Woolridge, a teacher at Media Enterprise Alliance, came to see the film because of Lucas’ reputation and out of respect for her father, who served in the Air Force for 25 years.

“I grew up knowing about the Tuskegee airmen,” she said. “This is definitely a part of my heritage. And since I knew there were a bunch of folks coming out, I thought it’d be a good group to see it with. I’m very curious to call my dad and see if he’s going to see this movie.”

Nationwide, “Red Tails” earned a respectable $6 million on opening night. Strong word of mouth resulted in a 40 percent increase in audience for Saturday and almost $20 million as of Sunday afternoon, making it the No. 2 movie in America (despite opening in 500 fewer theaters than the No. 1 film, "Underworld Awakening").

The strong Oakland showing–similar campaigns took place in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, New York and other cities–appeared to justify the decision made by Grand Lake management to show the film for three straight days, reportedly bumping a Disney movie in the process.

As for the movie itself? Though reviews have been mixed, “Red Tails” will be remembered as an important, groundbreaking film. It’s good, but not great and loaded with thrilling aerial combat sequences. Despite wooden dialogue and a lack of character development, the story is compelling as well as unique: there are few, if any, other WWII films, which tackle the themes of racial identity and overcoming discrimination through acts of bravery and courage.

Wright said he enjoyed the film. 

“As someone who grew up with ‘Top Gun,’ I’m glad the younger generation will see history that’s relevant to our communities, and being an action movie,” he said.

However, whether the film amounted to a glorification of the military-industrial complex and why independent movies by black filmmakers also didn’t receive the same outpouring of support remained hot topics in social media circles.

As Oakland artist Eesuu Orundide posted, “My thing is where we focus our energy. I'm not a fan or supporter of the American war machine, it ain’t cool or heroic to me. We use it to murder and oppress people all over the world. But I'm so starved for black images on screen that I'm compelled to go see the film.”

Meanwhile, he adds, “movies more in line with my interests that tell stories that I can relate to are being told from perspectives more in line with my own. I gotta support them first. I gotta hype them first. I could give a damn about what Hollywood puts its money behind.”

While that debate continues to rage on, by throwing so much community support behind “Red Tails,” Oakland has shown its willingness, once again, to be part of a national conversation around race, economics, culture, history and identity.