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Through the Banks of the Red Cedar: My Father and the Team That Changed the Game Hardcover – January 1, 2022

by Maya Washington (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 911 ratings
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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.

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Previous page
  1. Print length
    250 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Little A
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 2022
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1542016673
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1542016674
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

An Amazon Best Book of the Month: History

“An immensely moving tribute to her father, former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Gene Washington…Readers will be enthralled and heartened by this unique look at the way sports can influence society.” ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“The book should appeal to college football enthusiasts, especially those interested in how racial issues impacted the sport during the 20th century.” ―Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Maya Washington is an award-winning narrative and documentary filmmaker (writer/director/producer), actor, writer, poet, creative director, photographer, and arts educator. She is dedicated to social-impact stories that illuminate aspects of the human experience that are untold or rarely seen or that might benefit from new approaches to issues of diversity and inclusion. For more information visit www.throughthebanksoftheredcedar.com.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little A (January 1, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 250 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1542016673
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1542016674
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 911 ratings

About the author

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Maya Washington

Maya Washington

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Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Maya Washington is an award-winning narrative and documentary filmmaker (writer/director/producer), actress, writer, poet, creative director, photographer, and arts educator. She is dedicated to social-impact stories that illuminate aspects of the human experience that are untold or rarely seen or that might benefit from new approaches to issues of diversity and inclusion. For more information visit www.throughthebanksoftheredcedar.com.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
911 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Timbo
5.0 out of 5 stars Well written
Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2023
Verified Purchase
Good book to read by the fireplace and think of football of the past. Excellent book of personal experience and information of historical significance.
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C Jackson~Books Etc.
4.0 out of 5 stars Things I never knew
Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2022
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There were so many things I never knew occurred in the sports world back in the day. Although the sports world has evolved, there is so much more left to do according to the author. Her insightful comments were heartfelt. Even if you've never heard the names of the players in this book, readers should still be able gain a different point of view than before. Especially after reading her fathers account of his career.
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Sdc
5.0 out of 5 stars Takes me back
Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2022
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I attended MSU when Gene Washington was playing football there. I also attended another state college for a short time in the south. I was very aware of the differences in the diversity between the two schools at the time. The southern state school had ONE black student ( out of about 15 000 ? ). My large coed dorm at MSU had two Santa Claus's. One black and one white ( meant to be a humorous recognition of integration). This book took me back to that time. I never thought about what it must have been like for those athletes. It was fascinating to read about it.
I also didn't realize that MSU was a pioneer in the integration of sports. The book gave me new information about MSU , Duffy & John Hannah.
There is an inaccurate date ; MSU became MSU in 1955 not 1964 ( 100 years after it began as the first land grant college). A very interesting read spurring a lot of thought .
6 people found this helpful
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Clifford
3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but Disappointing Read
Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2022
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Sounds contradictory. If you come to this book to read a combination biography/autobiography of two people's lives it is fine and rather interesting. If you come to it expecting to read about some great change created in the playing of American football by Gene Washington, you will be sadly disappointed. As best as I can tell the only significant contribution the Gene made was to help bring about free agency. But that is not a change to the playing of the game. As the author Maya repeatedly described; the people who really changed the game in terms of the acceptance of people of other races were predominantly White people. The coaches. The recruiters. The owners. The college presidents. Even the fans.

Be prepared to read repeatedly--18 times-- that Gene was born and grew up in the Democrat-created (my words; not Maya's) Jim Crow South. How racist it was. How oppressive it was. It becomes annoying. Once or twice is fine. But we the readers are not stupid and don't need to be reminded over and over. It is almost like she was writing a school paper and trying to get to a certain number of words.

Finally, I had to shake my head at what seemed to be a whine about how "little" Gene was paid by the teams. From $25K to $35K; at a time when my father was earning between $2K and $4K per year. In today's money those would have been $179K to $251K and $14K to $28K. Not a shabby wage for Gene even today. Sure, it does not compare real well to the millions players can make now. But then that was a different time. The phrase that went through my head was "poor little rich kid".

I didn't care for the woke politics injected into the book. To keep complaining about racism all over the place when your and your father's lives demonstrate how far minorities can go; even from humble beginnings; sounds kind of hollow.
One person found this helpful
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TCombs
5.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening, Entertaining, Thought-provoking
Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2022
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This book was so much more than I ever imagined. Having walked the campus at MSU almost every summer as a southern kid from rural Arkansas in the 70's and 80's, and continuing as a Spartan fan even to today I learned so much. This book hits so many emotional touch points and makes you consider things in ways you may never have otherwise. The interplay between family, race- relations, education, opportunity, and culture keeps your interest and does so in a way that we all need in our still struggling society. If you are strong enough to consider your weaknesses, and to challenge your own views of how the world works then this is a must read. Thank you Maya Washington for sharing your family's incredible journey!
2 people found this helpful
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London Maclin
4.0 out of 5 stars Good but needs refining
Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2023
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This book touched on a of good points but it needs a lot of refining. Maya told the history well but she kept drifting to a lot of things that were not about her father. Her personal experiences really should taken the back seat to her dad life and experiences. Still a very good read.
One person found this helpful
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MVW
5.0 out of 5 stars Personalized Account of "Jim Crow" in the 1960s affecting outstanding football players
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2022
Verified Purchase
This book is terrific on a couple of levels. First of all, it reminds us of the pernicious effect and human cost of "Jim Crow" as recently as the 1960s - here where the best high school hurdler in Texas, Gene Washington, could not compete in the state high school track meet. Imagine that even in the 1930s a Black track star, Jesse Owns, could dazzle the crowd at the Olympics in Hitler's Germany, but a gifted Black kid 30 years later could not even appear in a high school championship race in Texas.

Washington, and others (most notably Bubba Smith) , were plucked out of the south by a crafty head coach at Michigan State University who was brave enough to field a team comprised of more Black players than one could find at the time outside of the HBCUs. And that collection of magnificent athletes went on to win titles and stardom in the NFL. Their example ultimately opened the doors in places like the bigoted SEC for talented Black players that are so prevalent in the game today.

The other level of enjoyment for me was the love story of a daughter for her father - a daughter who grew up in the north and had a more privileged upbringing than her parents could have had in the segregated South. Daughter Maya Washington in a journey of exploration traces this history in a most skillful and tender way. All in all, a wonderful book!
One person found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book
Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2023
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This was a very good book for my husband.
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Top reviews from other countries

BMS coach
5.0 out of 5 stars A thoroughly enjoyable and informative book
Reviewed in Canada on December 6, 2021
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I do not profess to be a football fan but this story was gripping and at many points heart rending for me as it wove the sad story of unjust and ingrown racism in America through the lives of black athletic pioneers, who managed to persevere and by God's grace somehow prevail.
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