Trailblazer Gene Washington’s daughter documents his place in Black sports history 

Sports Odds & Ends

For almost a decade, Maya Washington has worked tirelessly to tell her father’s story, as well as others of his generation. Her 2018 documentary film, “Through the Banks of the Red Cedar,” and the companion book of the same title, tell the story of Minnesota Vikings football legend Gene Washington, who played on the first integrated White college team at Michigan State under Coach Duffy Daugherty in 1963.

On Feb. 1, Washington’s film premiered nationally on PBS, and it will be shown again on TPT at 2 pm on Feb. 22. The local filmmaker and art teacher told the MSR that she and her father, who also went on to become a top executive in the business world, are now developing an interactive curriculum that will not only teach youth about this groundbreaking story of racial integration in sports, but also inspire them to be change-agents and bridge-makers in their own communities.

“I’m really excited about this project—to have both a film and a book and to also create materials that support educators who are teaching in upper elementary, middle school, and high school, educators who teach at the college level as well as a community group and people who might be facilitating diversity, equity and inclusion conversations at their workplace,” admitted Washington.

“It’s been a real labor of love and a journey to get to this place where we’re preparing to unlock this and make it available to people,” continued Washington of the project through which she learned more about her father, his family, and what his life was from youth to college, to the NFL and his post-sports life in Minnesota. She added that Black History Month seems like a good time to launch her latest project.

Asked about pushback by some elected officials around the country against Black history, like her film, being taught in schools, noted Washington, “I am not concerned about people who might not see my family’s contribution to history as valid, because I know there are enough people who were positively impacted by the desegregation of college football and positively impacted by the inclusion of African Americans in both college athletics as well as Olympic sports.

“Whether or not people recognize it or not, the contributions to American history that African Americans have made, I think that’s what made my father’s story so unique—like my dad going to Michigan State University, and later the Minnesota Vikings. Or that my dad and other talented Black athletes would make a significant difference to the success of their organizations or their institutions.

“I’m really grateful and excited at the overwhelming response to everything I’ve done over the past 10 years to bring my father’s story forward,” she continued. “This is just a really exciting time for us.”

“It’s Black History Month,” added Washington. “I do hope as Minnesota—and there’s still a lot of eyes on our state and Twin Cities, in particular—I hope that as a community, we can find ways to honor, celebrate, and do our due diligence to learn as much as they possibly can about those Black Minnesotans who really made our state better.”

 ‘Black Fives’ Games honor history

Throughout February, The Black Fives Foundation and the Big East Conference have established “specially designated matchups”—in both men’s (11) and women’s (11) basketball games—as Black Fives Games recognize the pre-NBA era of all-Black basketball from 1904 through 1950. Each team will wear a shooting shirt that celebrates a historically important local Black basketball squad. Coaches and staff will wear special lapel pins for the occasion. All contests are being nationally televised on CBSSN, Fox, FS1 and other media.