Ep 46: Maya Washington, Through the Banks of the Red Cedar!

Maya Washington is a filmmaker (writer/director/producer), actress, writer, poet, Creative Director, and arts educator. She received a BA in Dramatic Arts from the University of Southern California and an MFA in Creative Writing from Hamline University. Her work has garnered awards from Jerome Foundation, Minnesota State Arts Board, Minnesota Film and Television, and others.

Maya is dedicated to projects that have a sense of “purpose” in the world, selecting stories that illuminate some aspect of the human experience that is untold, rarely seen, or might benefit from new approaches to issues of diversity and inclusion, primarily in America.

On this podcast we discuss her film Through the Banks of the Red Cedar! 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.

The story 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.

visit www.redcedarmovie.com

Awards

Minnesota Film & TV LACH Production Reimbursement Grant || Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative Grant || Minnesota State Arts Board Arts Tour Grant || Jerome Foundation MN/NYC Film, Video, and Digital Production Grant || Audience Choice Honorable Mention – MN Made Documentary Feature – MSPIFF || Curated in “Best of Fest” screening for MSPIFF 2018

Official Selection

Detroit Free Press Freep Film Festival

Louisiana International Film Festival

Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival

Rochester International Film Festival

Bentonville Film festival

Color of Conversation Film Series, AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center

Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival

If you liked this podcast, shoot me an e-mail at [email protected]

Also, you can check out my documentary The People of Brixton, on Kwelitv here: