oin us for the February 2024 edition of the Minnesota Writers Series as we welcome multidisciplinary artist, Maya Washington, who will discuss her documentary film, “Through the Banks of the Red Cedar,” and memoir, “Through the Banks of the Red Cedar: My Father and the Team that Changed the Game.” Through film clips, book readings, and conversation, Maya will highlight her bond with and appreciation for her father, Gene Washington, a celebrated professional athlete who came of age during the peak of the civil rights movement. Maya will be joined by noted author and educator, Dr. Artika Tyner, who will moderate the discussion.

Maya Washington will be available for book signing and conversation after the event. “Through the Banks of the Red Cedar: My Father and the Team that Changed the Game,” will be available for purchase at the event.

Join writer, director, educator and MFA alumni, Maya Washington and CWP Program Coordinator and former Central High School English teacher, Meghan Maloney-Vinz, as they screen portions of Washington’s documentary, Through the Banks of the Red Cedar, and discusses how it, along with her accompanying Minnesota Book Award finalist memoir, Through the Banks of the Red Cedar: My Father and the Team that Changed the Game, and curated lesson plans, can be adapted and used in English, social studies, history, ethnic studies, and creative writing middle school, high school, and college classrooms as a resource for educators navigating the evolving curriculum landscape in Minnesota. The conversation will explore best practices for cultivating partnerships between local artists and educators.

Based on the award-winning documentary Through the Banks of the Red Cedar coming to PBS in February 2022, Maya Washington crafts a warm & deeply moving memoir about a daughter’s love for her father & her appreciation for how he & others changed the game of football forever.

Growing up Maya Washington didn’t see her father as the world knew him to be—Michigan State University and Minnesota Viking football legend, Gene Washington—she knew him as Dad. Based on Maya’s award-winning documentary, THROUGH THE BANKS OF THE RED CEDAR: My Father and the Team That Changed the Game follows her journey of uncovering just how difficult Gene’s youth in segregated Texas was, and his unorthodox rise to college football stardom at MSU during the height of the Civil Rights movement.

In this coming-of-age story, Maya narrates her father’s experiences with racial discrimination as a Black athlete from the segregated South and how his perseverance contributed to her own limited privilege. Maya’s life-altering experience of attending the funeral of Bubba Smith, her father’s childhood friend and teammate, revealed to her how much the world of football shielded her from the harsh realities that her father had faced.

After making the decision to learn more about her father’s past, Maya set out to interview the family members, friends, coaches, and teammates at the center of Gene’s story in order to learn more about the game that was so important to her father. As Maya’s eyes are opened to the reality of her father’s struggles with racism growing up in the South during Jim Crow, she also begins to reflect on her own experiences in her home city of Minneapolis, Minnesota and forms a deeper sense of gratitude for her parents’ devotion to opening doors for her that were closed to them during their youth.

Ultimately, THROUGH THE BANKS OF THE RED CEDAR expresses the growing bond between a father and his daughter, who comes to appreciate the game that changed both of their lives. Maya creates an inspiring depiction of Gene, not only as a star on the football field but also as a father to his three daughters. Maya expounds on controversial themes but expresses a sincere hope for unity.

Maya Washington is an award-winning director, narrative and documentary filmmaker (writer/director/producer), actress, writer, poet, creative director, visualist (photography) and arts educator. Maya is dedicated to projects that have a sense of “purpose” in the world, selecting social impact stories that illuminate aspects of the human experience that are untold, rarely seen, or might benefit from new approaches to issues of diversity and inclusion.

This event will be presented via Zoom. A link will be emailed to registered customers multiple times prior to event start, and is available on the "online event page" on Eventbrite (only visible once registered).

To celebrate African American players and coaches in anticipation of the upcoming release of the book,Through the Banks of the Red Cedar: My Father and the Team that Changed the Game, the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame is hosting an event screening the powerful documentary by the same name, Through the Banks of the Red Cedar, about Duffy Daugherty's recruitment pipeline from the segregated south to Michigan State during the 1960s, told through the eyes of Hall of Fame player Gene Washington's daughter Maya Washington.

A Q&A discussion with filmmaker and author Maya Washington, MSU Director of Player Engagement Darien Harris, and special guests will follow the screening. You are invited to attend this free event at the Hall, and we kindly ask that you RSVP in advance using the link.

About the Film

In 1963 Michigan State Head Coach Duffy Daugherty and 23 African American young men seized the opportunity of a lifetime. The daughter of Minnesota Vikings football legend and College Football Hall of Famer Gene Washington deepens her connection to her father as she uncovers how the first fully integrated college football team in America changed the game forever.

The film unfolds through the eyes of the filmmaker, Maya Washington, Gene's youngest daughter, as she uncovers her father's journey and the impact of this legacy on the present generation. Maya traces her father's footsteps from the segregated South to the North, over the course of a modern football season. As she uncovers both the triumphs and defeats of her father's team, she develops a newly formed appreciation for the game and a deeper connection to her father, just in time to witness MSU Spartan Football team ascend to national prominence 50 years later.

The racial demographics seen on the field today are due in large part to Hall of Fame coach Duffy Daugherty's innovative approach to recruiting African American men from the South to MSU in the 1960s, known as the "Underground Railroad" of college football. The success of MSU's 1965 and 1966 back-to-back Big Ten and National Champion teams forces America to re-think prejudices that previously kept African American players from earning scholarships or starting positions. Gene Washington later makes pro-football history alongside Spartan teammates Bubba Smith, Clinton Jones, and George Webster when they are selected in the first round, within the top eight picks of the 1967 draft.

About the Book

A warm and invigorating memoir about a daughter’s love for her father and her appreciation for how he and others changed the game of football forever.

Gene Washington’s football career ended long before his daughter Maya was born. She never saw the legendary powerhouse as anything but her dad. She didn’t yet grasp the impact he’d had on the sport—and on America. To understand his historic role in the integration of college football, witness his influence on generations that followed, and fully appreciate his legacy, Maya had a lot of catching up to do.

Maya retraces her father’s journey from the segregated south to Michigan State during the peak of the Civil Rights Movement and his journey as an NFL pioneer after the 1967 draft. She reflects on how her father’s childhood—and the racism he faced—shaped her upbringing and influenced his expectations of her. She also discovers how unbreakable the emotional bond between teammates can be. But above all, Maya and her father get to know each other. As their own bond deepens, so does Maya’s connection to the sport that changed the trajectory of her father’s life…and hers.

Big Ten Network

December 28, 2020 6:30pm EST, 5:30pm CST

DESCRIPTION:

In 1963, Michigan State Head Coach Duffy Daugherty recruited 23 African American football players from the American South. Through the Banks of the Red Cedar, a powerful documentary about the first fully integrated college football team in America, unfolds through the eyes of filmmaker Maya Washington, the youngest daughter of Michigan State Athletics Hall of Famer and 50 Greatest Vikings honoree Gene Washington. She retraces Gene’s footsteps from the segregated South to Michigan State, and later the NFL, revealing how scholarships impacted the lives of players of color, who were literally dropped into an integrated environment for the first time, at the height of the Civil Rights Movement in America.

DESCRIPTION:

In 1963, Michigan State Head Coach Duffy Daugherty recruited 23 African American football players from the American South. Through the Banks of the Red Cedar, a powerful documentary about the first fully integrated college football team in America, unfolds through the eyes of filmmaker Maya Washington, the youngest daughter of Michigan State Athletics Hall of Famer and 50 Greatest Vikings honoree Gene Washington. She retraces Gene’s footsteps from the segregated South to Michigan State, and later the NFL, revealing how scholarships impacted the lives of players of color, who were literally dropped into an integrated environment for the first time, at the height of the Civil Rights Movement in America.

Tuesday November 10, 2020

8PM ET

Big Ten Network will debut “Through the Banks of the Red Cedar” on November 10 at 8:00 p.m. EST. The Network plans to air the film two more times before the end of 2020.

DESCRIPTION:

In 1963, Michigan State Head Coach Duffy Daugherty recruited 23 African American football players from the American South. Through the Banks of the Red Cedar, a powerful documentary about the first fully integrated college football team in America, unfolds through the eyes of filmmaker Maya Washington, the youngest daughter of Michigan State Athletics Hall of Famer and 50 Greatest Vikings honoree Gene Washington. She retraces Gene’s footsteps from the segregated South to Michigan State, and later the NFL, revealing how scholarships impacted the lives of players of color, who were literally dropped into an integrated environment for the first time, at the height of the Civil Rights Movement in America.

Through the Banks of the Red Cedar

Thursday, February 6, 2020 at 7 p.m.
Annenberg Auditorium (ASC)
3502 Watt Way, Los Angeles, CA 90089

Through the Banks of the Red Cedar 

ADMISSION: 
Admission is free. Reservations required. RSVP beginning Thursday, January 9, at 9 a.m.

DESCRIPTION: 
In 1963, Michigan State Head Coach Duffy Daugherty recruited 23 African American football players from the American South. Through the Banks of the Red Cedar, a powerful documentary about the first fully integrated college football team in America, unfolds through the eyes of filmmaker and USC alumna Maya Washington, the youngest daughter of Michigan State Athletics Hall of Famer and 50 Greatest Vikings honoree Gene Washington. She retraces Gene’s footsteps from the segregated South to Michigan State, and later the NFL, revealing how scholarships impacted the lives of players of color, who were literally dropped into an integrated environment for the first time, at the height of the Civil Rights Movement in America.

A screening will be followed by a discussion with the filmmaker, her father, his teammate Clinton Jones, and USC professors Daniel Durbin and Ben Carrington about the themes and issues that the film explores, which remain relevant to this day.

Award-winning documentary, Through the Banks of the Red Cedar, Area Premiere at the 2019 National GEM Consortium Annual Board Meeting and Conference weekend sponsored by 3M.

In 1963 Michigan State Head Coach Duffy Daugherty gave 23 African American young men the opportunity of a lifetime. The daughter of football legend Gene Washington uncovers how the first fully-integrated college football team in America changed the game forever.

Join filmmaker Maya Washington and her father, Minnesota Vikings Legend Gene Washington, for a screening and Q&A discussion of Maya's documentary Through the Banks of the Red Cedar .

Date: Thursday, September 19, 2019

Time: 9:00 PM - 10:30 PM CT

Location: Sheraton Grand Chicago, Michigan AB, Level 2 (Meeting Room Level)

Attire: Business Casual

Parking: Local attendees may choose to use public transportation or ride share services, or park at the hotel for a fee.

Space is limited!

Tickets Available On Eventbrite

Summer brings us to Columbia, MD as an Official Selection of Lakefront Film Festival ! The screening is scheduled for July 27, 2019 at 3:00pm.

Through the Banks of the Red Cedar
July 27, 2019
3:45pm

The Horowitz Center Smith Theater
Howard Community College
10901 Little Patuxent Parkway
Columbia, MD 21044 

Tickets: https://www.goelevent.com/LFF/e/ThroughtheBanksoftheRedCedar

About the Film
In 1963 Michigan State Head Coach Duffy Daugherty gave 23 African American young men the opportunity of a lifetime. The daughter of football legend Gene Washington uncovers how the first fully-integrated college football team in America changed the game forever.

www.redcedarmovie.com

About Lakefront Film Festival
The Lakefront Film Fest is a celebration of multi-cultural independent film in Columbia, Maryland. This event will bring the artistry and excitement that only cinema can bring. With the beautiful area of Downtown Columbia as the backdrop, film enthusiasts will have the opportunity to experience over 40 new independent multicultural narrative features, documentaries, animation, web-series, short films and studio preview screenings from July 25-28, 2019.

VERY IMPORTANT: Tickets are available directly through the venue. If you plan to attend our screening, tickets must be purchased on the venue's website. Please do not contact us regarding tickets, as we will not be able to assist you. Our production is not hosting the event nor are we receiving revenues from the screenings. 

If you have questions or wish to speak to the venue directly, you can contact lakefrontfilmfest@gmail.com or 443-305-9507

In 1963 Michigan State Head Coach Duffy Daugherty gave 23 African American young men the opportunity of a lifetime. The daughter of football legend Gene Washington uncovers how the first fully-integrated college football team in America changed the game forever.

From 6p-7p Filmmaker Maya Washington and her father Gene Washington will join Global Sport Institute CEO, Kenneth Shropshire for a special discussion prior to the rooftop screening of the documentary.

Following the discussion the film will be shown (approximately one hour) and then Maya & Gene Washington will rejoin us for a Q & A session with the audience to close out the night.

EVENT TICKETS (free) : Eventbrite

Note: The screening and discussion is part of the 2019 Global Sport Summit. Both summit attendees and non-attendees are welcome to attend. Summit attendees can register for the event within their summit registration.

Official Film Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1TKixZqA4Q

To celebrate African American players and coaches during Black History Month 2019, the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame is hosting an event honoring Hall of Fame player Gene Washington from Michigan State University. You are invited to attend this free event at the Hall, and we kindly ask that you RSVP in advance using the form linked below. More info here.

Also, the Hall is offering BOGO (buy one get one free) admission to all HBCU students throughout the month of February. Just say “HBCUBOGO” at the box office anytime during February. Must show valid ID.

Wednesday, 2/6: Gene Washington Documentary Screening + Q&A

·         RSVP here by Wednesday, 1/30.

·         5 – 6 p.m. – reception

·         6 – 7:15 p.m. – Through the Banks of the Red Cedar documentary screening

·         7:15 p.m. – Q&A begins with Gene and Maya Washington

It's a Pop-Up (Dallas, TX Premiere) Screening with the DFW Spartans and local community THIS SATURDAY, January 26th, 2019. We're so excited to present this wonderful networking and film event with local Spartans and folks in the Dallas - Fort Worth communities. The event is free and open to the public with RSVP.


Location:
Cafe Izmir
211 N. Ervay, Suite 100
Dallas, TX 75201

Schedule:

6:00pm Networking

7:00pm Film Screening of Through the Banks of the Red Cedar followed by Q&A with filmmaker Maya Washington.

Free Admission. Seating is limited.
Please RSVP by January 25th, at redcedarmovie@gmail.com

About the Film

In 1963 Michigan State Head Coach Duffy Daugherty gave 23 African American young men the opportunity of a lifetime. The daughter of football legend Gene Washington uncovers how the first fully-integrated college football team in America changed the game forever in this much anticipated documentary film, Through the Banks of the Red Cedar. www.redcedarmovie.com

California State University Fullerton Hosts the Race, Gender, & Sports Forum featuring student athletes and coaches, with special guests Filmmaker Maya Washington, and NFL and MSU great Clinton Jones, and Historian Kevin Dawson.

Location:

Titan Student Union Pavilion A, California State University Fullerton

800 N State College Blvd, Fullerton, CA 92831

Schedule:

9:00 Welcome

9:15-10:00 CSUF Coaches & Student Athletes Panel

10:00 Screening of Through the Banks of the Red Cedar

11:30 Representing Race and Gender in Sports Panel

TICKETS AVAILABLE ON EVENTBRITE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/through-the-banks-of-the-red-cedar-area-premiere-tickets-50290786095

DESCRIPTION

Running Water Entertainment presents Through the Banks of the Red Cedar, a documentary film featuring Texas football legends Gene Washington and Bubba Smith. The evening will include distnguished guests from Baytown and La Porte, with a Q & A with Gene Washington and his filmmaker daughter Maya Washington who directed and produced the film. General Admission os $20. All tickets include one drink and one popcorn at the state of the art Showbiz Cinemas for the screening.

FIRST THURSDAYS @ THE CAPRI

A series of films presented in partnership with the Capri Theater on the first Thursday of every month, with speakers invited to lead post-film discussions with audiences.

Followed by a conversation with Director Maya Washington.

Through the Banks of the Red Cedar, a play on the Michigan State University fight song, follows the 50 year legacy of the filmmaker’s father, legendary Vikings wide-receiver Gene Washington (College Football Hall of Fame, Big Ten Ford-Kinnick Leadership Award, Michigan State Athletics Hall of Fame, 50 Greatest Vikings Honoree) from the segregated South to MSU alongside highly decorated teammates Bubba Smith (Defensive Lineman), George Webster (Rover Back) and Clinton Jones (Running Back) as they become members of the first fully integrated football team in America, later making history as first round picks in the 1967 Draft.

Through the Banks of the Red Cedar

Friday September, 28, 2018 5pm 
Studio C

Seating to the September 28th event is limited and RSVP is required.
Please contact Chelsea Austin austin54@msu.edu for more information. 

This educational MSU Athletics community screening will include a Q&A discussion with filmmaker Maya Washington, Gene Washington, and members of the 1965 &1966 MSU Spartans Football Team.

We hope you'll join us for our official East Lansing debut!


Through the Banks of the Red Cedar

Wednesday September, 26, 2018 6:15pm 
Wells Hall 
https://maps.msu.edu/interactive/

This event is free and open to students, staff, and the public.

There is no RSVP required for the September 26th screening.

This educational on-campus screening will include a Q&A discussion moderated by filmmaker Maya Washington, with Gene Washington, and members of the 1965 &1966 MSU Spartans Football Team.

The 16th Annual Run&Shoot Filmworks Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival

August 6-11, 2018

The Summer’s Finest Film Festival is now entering its 16th year on Martha’s Vineyard. We have promoted and screened many of the most outstanding Feature, Documentary and Short Films produced by and starring African Americans from across the world.

The Color of Conversation Film Series

June 28–July 1, 2018

Run&Shoot Filmworks is proud to present a new partnership with the American Film Institute Silver Theatre and Cultural Center called The Color of Conversation Film Series. Taking place at the historic AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring, MD, in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area, this new series represents an extension of Martha's Vineyard African-American Film Festival's dedication to supporting the creation and advancement of innovative, artistic cinematic works for both emerging and seasoned filmmakers of color.

The Color of Conversation Film Series seeks to stimulate an appreciation of film as an art form and encourages people of all ages and backgrounds to participate in the conversation.

http://www.afi.com/silver/films/2018/p86/color-of-conversation.aspx