A Story Worth Telling -

Maya Washington knew her father was a football star, knew he played at Michigan State in the 1960s, knew he came from segregated Texas.

The youngest daughter of Gene Washington knew Bubba Smith, too, but it wasn't until after Smith's 2011 death that she really understood the connection — and lasting importance — of all those things. She got to see her father interact with his former MSU teammates at Smith's memorial service, and among the many things she learned was that Smith convinced then-MSU coach Duffy Daugherty to recruit her dad as part of MSU's 1963 class.

"It was a surreal moment, like, 'Wow, my life was completely changed by this little detail,'" Maya Washington said. "I felt immense grief that I didn't get to thank Bubba for what he did for my dad."

She's been working on doing that ever since, and one whale of a thank-you note is near completion. Maya, a filmmaker and actress whose work includes the award-winning "White Space," about a deaf poet, is in the post-production stage of a documentary called "Through the Banks of the Red Cedar."

It's about her father and Michigan State in the 1960s; the role Daugherty's courage and his African-American players' grace played in desegregating college football; the parallel story of MSU football rising again under Mark Dantonio; and a father-daughter relationship that has strengthened in three years of tireless work on the film.

"She's very passionate and very determined about this project, and I'm very proud of her for making this, because I never would have thought to do something like this," said Gene Washington, a College Football Hall of Famer who starred at receiver on MSU's championship teams of 1965-66, then joined teammates Smith, Clinton Jones and George Webster in occupying four of the top eight picks of the 1967 NFL draft.

Both still need funding and are asking for help on their respective websites (throughthebanksoftheredcedar.com and menofsparta.com). Maya Washington said she's still about $100,000 short of completing the project — in part because Big Ten archival footage is going for $4,500 a minute these days.

Floyd Robertson wrote:

Both still need funding and are asking for help on their respective websites (throughthebanksoftheredcedar.com and menofsparta.com). Maya Washington said she's still about $100,000 short of completing the project — in part because Big Ten archival footage is going for $4,500 a minute these days.

Fuck the B1G for charging for charging for the footage on a project like this. That footage is nearly 50 years old and ought to be public domain.

LooseGoose wrote:
You're right.   It would seem that the B1GTen allowing her access to the footage would cover most of the $$ she needs to complete this.  Maybe this could be our 1st Swill campaign?    Some sort of a concerted effort to get her the footage free?

Floyd Robertson wrote:

Both still need funding and are asking for help on their respective websites (throughthebanksoftheredcedar.com and menofsparta.com). Maya Washington said she's still about $100,000 short of completing the project — in part because Big Ten archival footage is going for $4,500 a minute these days.

Fuck the B1G for charging for charging for the footage on a project like this. That footage is nearly 50 years old and ought to be public domain.

DWags wrote:

Floyd Robertson wrote:

Fuck the B1G for charging for charging for the footage on a project like this.  That footage is nearly 50 years old and ought to be public domain.

1.  FUCKING AWESOME PROJECT!   JUST FUCKING AWESOME!

2. We need to do something either donate to the film, or start a letter writing campaign for this film to get the free footage.  

Turtleneck wrote:

DWags wrote:

1.  FUCKING AWESOME PROJECT!   JUST FUCKING AWESOME!

2. We need to do something either donate to the film, or start a letter writing campaign for this film to get the free footage.  

I posted about this last week. The link at the bottom of the thread takes you to an interview with Washington and his daughter. It's a good listen so you should check it out.

https://spartanswill.forumotion.com/t5504-new-book-on-msu-s-duffy-daugherty-role-in-the-racial-integration-of-cfb

I have always felt like this whole story about MSU and desegregation would make a great documentary. It's very compelling. I am glad somebody is moving forward with that idea.

LooseGoose wrote:

Turtleneck wrote:

I posted about this last week. The link at the bottom of the thread takes you to an interview with Washington and his daughter. It's a good listen so you should check it out.

https://spartanswill.forumotion.com/t5504-new-book-on-msu-s-duffy-daugherty-role-in-the-racial-integration-of-cfb

I have always felt like this whole story about MSU and desegregation would make a great documentary. It's very compelling. I am glad somebody is moving forward with that idea.

Sorry I didn't see that and kind of did a check prior to posting.

Rocinante wrote:I'll start rattling cages as best I can this week.

SpartanInNH wrote:

Rocinante wrote:I'll start rattling cages as best I can this week.

She has a Twitter account, IIRC.

Also, does it bother anyone else that it's called "THROUGH THE BANKS" instead of "ON THE BANKS"? Never mind.