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.
Contact redcedarmovie@gmail.com for sponsorship information.
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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. The film highlights the adversities of African American student atheletes from La Porte, Baytown, and the Beaumont Triangle during the 1960s.
Through the Banks of the Red Cedar, a play on the Michigan State University fight song, follows the 50 year legacy of Maya'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. The story unfolds through the eyes of 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. Civil Rights legislations and the overwhelming success of Duffy’s integrated team force the rest of college football, including programs like Alabama, Texas and Mississippi, to finally recognize and recruit black talent.
The film delves into the triumphs and defeats of Daugherty's integrated team as they finish the season with the historic 1966 "Game of the Century," a 10-10 tie against Notre Dame. Teammates Gene Washington, Bubba Smith , Clinton Jones, and George Webster make history as first round picks in the 1967 draft. Gene Washington and Clinton Jones bring momentum to the Minnesota Vikings, playing in the 1969 Super Bowl alongside legendary teammates Joe Kapp, Alan Page, Carl Eller, Jim Marshall, John Henderson, Oscar Reed, Dave Osborn and Mick Tingelhoff. Maya's interviews with former players recall the highlights of the Minnesota Vikings' "Purple People Eater" years, as well as the racial discrimination black players faced in the league, speaking to the overall impact African American pioneers had on players' rights, including free agency and the right to negotiate salaries. Her appreciation and gratitude for her father grows deeper as together they reveal how what happened 50 years ago is still relevant today.
SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION
A limited number of Sponsorship Packages are available starting at $100. Please contact us if you are interested in a Sponsorship Package at redcedarmovie@gmail.com. All Sponsorship Packages include Film Premiere Screening tickets, Popcorn, Drink, Q&A, On-Screen, Social Media, and Print/E-Flyer Acknowledgement.