In 1963 at Michigan State University, Head Coach Duffy Daugherty chose 23 black men to play on the college team. From this move came legends Gene Washington, Bubba Smith, George Webster and Clinton Jones. Director Maya Washington, Gene Washington’s daughter, charts the legacy of her father’s career and influence, along with the impact the events of 1963 have shown in the present day.
A story of not only the sport, but of human determination, strength and connectivity, Through the Banks of the Red Cedar looks into the community built from Michigan State’s team, a community that first crossed the dividing lines of race and then broke them completely, leading the nation forward into a world beyond segregation. An inspiring and powerful work, Washington’s film is a love letter to her father and also a recollection of the hardships faced and strength shown by generations.
Director Biography
Maya Washington is an award-winning writer/director/producer, actor and poet whose work has garnered fellowships and/or awards from Jerome Foundation, Minnesota State Arts Board, Minnesota Film and Television, and others. Her award-winning narrative film White Space (starring ABC Family Switched at Birth’s Ryan Lane) recently aired on network television as a selection of African American Short Films, was nominated for a Black Reel Award, and won Best Short at 2012 MSPIFF. 2018 will mark the release of her latest films: CLEAR (also screening in 2018 MSPIFF) about a woman reconnecting with her teen daughter after a wrongful conviction, and Through the Banks of the Red Cedar about her father, Gene Washington, who was a member of the first fully integrated college football team in America.
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