The virtual conversation will feature author and filmmaker Maya Washington in conversation with MSP Film Society and Craig Rice hosted by Magers and Quinn Booksellers.
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).