An Evening with Through the Banks of the Red Cedar

250 Marietta Street NorthWest,Atlanta GA 30313

28 December, 2021

Description

Film Screening and Book Release Celebration 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.