Yo! Tuesday night I’ll be attending/moderating the screening of Black and Blue at the Detroit Center (3663 Woodward Ave, Detroit 48201 map & directions). The event is sponsored by the U-M Club of Detroit. I’ll be joining my pal Brian Kruger of Stunt3 and we’ll entertain questions about the film of course, but we’re also willing to delve into booze, horses, women and politics. More here and here:
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U-M DETROIT CENTER TO HOST FILM SCREENING OF INSPIRING DOCUMENTRY “BLACK AND BLUE”
Learn about an inspiring moment in collegiate football history on Tuesday, June 17 from 6 – 8 p.m., as the University of Michigan Detroit Center hosts a screening and discussion of the film “Black and Blue: The Story of Gerald Ford, Willis Ward and the 1934 Michigan-Georgia Tech Football Game.” This screening includes free admission, parking and complimentary refreshments.
Emmy nominated producer Brian Kruger and sports historian Greg Dooley will moderate a brief discussion following the film.
Locally produced by Stunt 3 Media and written by Buddy Morehouse and directed by Brian Kruger, “Black and Blue” follows the iconic story of two friends and one game during a time of civil injustice.
During the 20th century in-heed of Jim Crow laws, it was commonplace for college athletic teams in the North to bench their black players when playing a team from the South.
In 1934, the University of Michigan football team extended an invitation to Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) to compete in a game that fall. Georgia Tech accepted Michigan’s invitation under one condition: Michigan’s talented African-American player, Willis Ward, had to be benched. The University of Michigan agreed, which sparked uproar amongst the students, and most of all, Ward’s teammate and friend Gerald Ford.
Disgusted with the decision, Ford intended to quit the team; however, it was Willis Ward who encouraged Ford to play in the game.
About the moderators:
Brian Kruger is a two-time Emmy nominated film producer who directed and produced “Black and Blue.” A graduate of Eastern Michigan University, Kruger spent 20 years in print and multimedia publishing before founding his production and directing company, Stunt3 Multimedia.
Greg Dooley is a University of Michigan graduate and sports historian who appears in “Black and Blue.” He operates the blog MVictors.com, which centers on athletics at the University of Michigan with an emphasis on football.
The University of Michigan’s Detroit Center offers instruction and provides a central base to support and sustain research and partnerships among the University, civic leaders, arts groups, and community organizations. The Center recognizes Detroit for its rich urban arts and cultural context and opportunities for meaningful education and scholarship. The Center also embodies the University’s commitment to the City, and serves as a visible and accessible community center gateway to the University for Detroit’s residents and its institutions.
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