The 1898 Foundation, Inc. emerged from a loose association of representatives from community organizations and their efforts to commemorate Wilmington’s 1898 coup d’état and massacre. The 1898 Foundation was formally incorporated in the spring of 1997. The mission of the organization was “to develop and coordinate a broad-based community effort in appropriate remembrance of the Wilmington coup and violence of 1898.” According to the Foundation’s early mission statement, members hoped that “this remembrance will be the beginning of a continuing effort to improve race relations in Wilmington and help bring about a spirit of justice and tolerance for all residents of the community.” During the planning phase of the 1898 commemoration, Bolton Anthony organized a two-day visit by Durham consultation Isaiah Madison in June 1996. This visit was funded by a North Carolina Humanities Council grant, during which Madison met with Wilmington community leaders, scholars, and clergy to facilitate a discussion about the proposed programs that would be a part of the 1898 commemoration effort. Following the visit, Madison submitted a report that formed the essential planning document for the commemoration. Madison returned to Wilmington several times for meetings or to facilitate discussions, notably facilitating a strategic planning retreat in March 1997. Additionally, aware of an effort in Tulsa, Oklahoma to mark the 75th anniversary of an infamous race riot, Wilmington 1898 commemoration planners invited Tulsa Mayor Susan Savage and Oklahoma state representative Don Ross to visit and share their advice and experiences in March 1997.

The activities of the Foundation reached a crescendo in 1998, during which they organized or facilitated several community dialogue groups, a website, a video documentary, a UNCW symposium, a conference on economic inclusion, a commemorative drama, a ministerial roundtable, and a commemorative ceremony and banquet. The 1898 Foundation continued commemorative efforts into the 2000s, during which they planned, fundraised, and managed the creation of 1898 Memorial Park. The 1898 Memorial Park, featuring a monument designed by artist Ayokunle Odeleye, was dedicated in November 2008.