Pahokee, with 904 students, has won four of the last five state titles in its class. Why trust us? But even in the community, you couldnt find people who know who Zora Neal Hurston is, and the kids dont read her books. And we just had to figure it out. She is the mother to many people there. We filmed [Pahokee Highs football team] during their undefeated season and thats what really connected us to the people. K. E. Cunningham/Canal Point Elementary School, 37000 Main Street, Canal Point (grades K5). Top Players in the NFL; Anquan Boldin Pahokee (FL) Pahokee 6-2 / 205 / PRO . 2023 www.palmbeachpost.com. Its a country town, and dem boys are country with different aspects, but they survive. His parents met in Pahokee, though he was born and grew up states, if not worlds away. Thats why the town went down. And many return, like the NFL stars who founded Muck Tavern, or those who visit when its comes time for the nationally known high school Muck Bowl played against rivals from Belle Glade. Wile E. Coyote got the Road Runner. -type football story, but then realized that narrative has been done before. Enrollment is 68% black, 39% Hispanic, 2% white, 1% other. But theyre still trying to survive. Gray, who was 23, was a member of Pahokee High's 2016 state champion football team. Theyre rich in the land growing their own fruits and vegetables, fishing from that lake. It seems the only way they can get that energy out is through sports and football. Theres got to be more hope for the youth and others than playing football. McKinley and Suchak came to town in 2016 to watch a New Jersey football team and square off against Pahokee. And if you were in the town, the way that all went down was extremely controversial for them. [27] Famous Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden makes a cameo appearance. Volunteer Help the coach manage this team. View Pahokee Blue Devils team profile: View the Blue Devils schedule, coaches, team players, school history, stadium, school info, maps, photos, and recruiting. Without that, they may not have someone in their life looking out for them. They dont have a lot of riches. I went and researched. Holmes has been one of the state's most. A lot of young people down there have so much talent, so many ideas and ways they want to express themselves. With running back Kevin Bouie, defensive lineman Chris Cade and quarterback Anthony Sheppard, this year was different. Thompson coached the Blue Devils from 1984-92, leading the small Palm Beach County team . Unemployment exceeds 25%. In fourth grade, he decided to try football. For a coach taking over a team that went 2-4 last season and lost to its archrival by 38 points . At Pahokee High School, Blue Devils football star Bijay Boldin is standing out in the classroom as well. And through it all, the three players have worked toward an eventual common goal a scholarship to the University of Michigan. We had to raise like $10,000 and Bhawins parents helped put money in. Very big.". Try the best British shows streaming on Netflix. Home of The Mighty Blue Devils. It was Jim Crow. that also talk about this. About Us; Staff; Camps; Scuba. In Pahokee, we did some community screenings to preview the film for the community so they could get a sense of what we were doing and the direction. Alumni include Jackson, Andre Waters of the Philadelphia Eagles, two in the Canadian Football League and at least 27 on college rosters around the country. Deputies found Johnson and other two shooting victims as the crowd began to disperse. Has it hit you that the world will soon see this film? We went there in 2015, and we saw the excitement. And obviously, with the documentary, nothings scripted, right? Through intimate stories of love and despair, Outta the Muck depicts a new perspective on Pahokee, a city built on Black achievement, resilience, and appreciation for its community. Oilers (1969) Pahokee. They trained in this type of heat and everything every day. They fish like Bhawin was saying. Beyond Football: Pahokee, Florida's History of Black Resilience February 14, 2023 by Craig Phillips in Behind the Films This community and the surrounding area around the southern shores of. But people are thriving there [too]. Our No. "Very excited to join the Berkeley family," said Lodge after the announcement. . And theyre humble people, you know. But we also see how people have no hope. "It don't seem through speaking about it that it means so much," Butler said. Executive Producer Sam [Pollard] did a documentary about Hurston [2008s. Thats something that I got. Pahokee High School also known as Pahokee Junior Senior High School is a historic school in Pahokee Florida. If it werent for Pahokee, there would be no me. Bhawin: We thought it was going to be more of an ESPN 30 for 30-type football story, but then realized that narrative has been done before. We were there through the whole thing, just trying to raise money to go back and forth, back and forth, you know. Having been stung before, they were wary when McKinleys film crews arrived. I wasnt born in Pahokee, but my mother and father met there. To me, that is one of the biggest misconceptions. All rights reserved. "The people of Pahokee love football. Pahokee 46 Glades Central 14 Final I left Florida in 79 and 80 and went back in 2015. Then they had an AIDS epidemic. Pahokee had its signing ceremony Wednesday morning, but Holmes was still "mulling his options." He also was considering Cincinnati and Western Kentucky. "I think the whole town cried last year," said Ervin Butler, a taxi driver who has lived in Pahokee since 1928 and will turn 67 on Christmas Day. My niece, whom we featured in there, her son was just a baby when I left. Pahokee football player heading to Ivy League school WPTV West Palm Beach, FL UP NEXT Football athletes sign with college programs during 2023 National Signing Period ABC 27 Tallahassee, FL. Pahokee's most recent local newspaper was A Better Pahokee, a free digital e-newspaper, founded in 2013 by Jessie Tsang and Minister Freddie Lee Peterkin. Thats the reason why these people do that. Who are the people that are maintaining the history? All we want to do is come down there, give these people some cameras, donate to a nonprofit. [25] This is in addition to $200,000 pledged by Senator Abruzzo in 2014. "The other schools that were interested were West Kentucky, Western Michigan, Eastern Kentucky, Old Dominion, Brown, Darthmouth, and Yale," he said. Both men have pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and attempted murder are awaiting trial. I wanted to make sure I had peoples trust and a level of understanding of what we were trying to do. It made me want to reconnect with my own history and my family in a way that was really deeper and more involved and extensive than I ever thought before. "What's so incredible about this place, it's literally 40 miles west of West Palm and it's a completely different environment. Looking ahead to the 2025 QB class and players that FSU is involved with, Class of 2025 quarterback Austin Simmons picks up another ACC offer, Vince Marrow with several new offers in northern Ohio, Michigan, Monday Musings: Syracuse Has Big Recruiting Weekend, Syracuse Set to Host Six Official Visitors, Big Official Visit Weekend Coming in Late June, UK extends offers to three 4-star prospects, Pimpleton checking on prospects in The Muck on Wednesday, Emptying the Notebook: Florida State Junior Day news and notes. I used to go there two times a year but never lived in that type of setting. "I think at the end of the day, we're making a film that's about community, and football essentially is the foundation and backstory of what we're talking about. Thats why the town went down. But when Pahokee football and Pahokee gangsters do butt heads, it can rock the community, which has invested so much physically, emotionally and spiritually in its Blue Devils. Ira McKinley, whose family hails from Pahokee, is a formerly incarcerated activist-turned-filmmaker who first connected with filmmaker Bhawin Suchak for the powerful, personal film The Throwaways, in Albany, New York. When we talk about these small rural towns, its almost always in a deficit, a context of what they dont have. The kids trained in this every day. They played football, and the people they used were people out of the muck. Pahokee, Florida (Other Florida schools)14 total players, 1 active player, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 6:17AM. We, Yahoo, are part of the Yahoo family of brands. When Ira was down there doing all that preliminary research, he had already known about this aspect of the town. Ira: Stories have been told [about Pahokee] throughout [its] 100 years of history, with Hurston, and Harvest of Shame. Ira: Bhawin has another organization hes running, Im trying to do my own thing, and we dont have the resources. You learn how to become self-determined. Help bring programs like Independent Lens to your PBS station. He passed for nearly 1,000 yards his senior year at Pahokee while playing quarterback. Frequently Asked Questions about the NFL and Football, Pro-Football-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREE. But [theres] red tape with the political stuff because they dont want us to bring this down there for peoples benefit. In an interview with Digital Trends, Mckinley and Suchak discuss the seven-year journey behind Outta the Muck, the biggest misconceptions about Pahokee, and the messages to be taken away from the film. I was at first reluctant because it just takes so much work. The Disney Bundle includes monthly subscriptions to Disney+ and Hulu, in addition to ESPN+, and starts at $13 per month. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Hes just with his family and those boys on the football team. The AOL.com video experience serves up the best video content from AOL and around the web, curating informative and entertaining snackable videos. Others, like Bridgetts son, Jarvis Byrd, come back to coach football to the next generation. I had to take myself back to that time. "Pahokee is remote. When youre down there and you spend time, it doesnt really exist in any way thats any different from any other place. Pahokee football player heading to Georgetown University, Buc-ees to open third location in Florida, Kodak Black learns hell get drug treatment program, then gets Jolly Rancher, Hobe Sound surfer describes bloody mess after being bitten by shark, Missing Port St. Lucie man, 73, found safe on I-95 in Martin County, 3 men arrested in fatal shooting in November, Agents work to combat uptick in migrant smuggling, PBSO: Man arrested in fatal shooting during family gathering, DeSantis launches new book, ratcheting up 2024 speculation. Ron] DeSantis trying to kill education. He is a film nerd, cartoonist, classic film poster collector, wannabe screenwriter, and owner of/owned by cats. Find out more. It will also be available to stream on the PBS Video app. Weve made a lot of these stories invisible and marginalized as if they were irrelevant. I don't know nothing about football, but I know who had the biggest pile of rabbits, and that means something.". The powerful thing about the film is the last moment, where Alvin ties in the history of native people and the runaway slaves and ties it into what Pahokee is today. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. It just doesnt look like it looks in a more mainstream area that has a lot of resources. Johnson's death was the second homicide this year involving a former Pahokee athlete. They were selling drugs. The Blue Devils got close in 1976, with a team that included New Orleans Saints All-Pro Rickey Jackson and current Pahokee assistant Ronnie Osbourne, who played for the U.S. Football League champion Michigan Panthers. Chris (1976's Carrie). So they chase rabbits. The reason why they go catch rabbits is to help the family eat. I spent some weeks with the fam. The people were like, Oh, how are they doing it? After the game, they thought they were going to win and have this big celebration. Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Pro Football Reference Database. It so happens that McKinley is also a member of the Deans' extended family. But this ire isn't simply directed toward the knife-wielding killers of horror cinema. One story unfortunately we had to cut was about a young man they call B Man. You see him in the film but his story goes really deep: he was 14 and got arrested for armed robbery. But then the question becomes, Who stays, and maintains those family histories? Like Ira says in the opening of the film, I had to tell this story because if I dont, its going to disappear. An important part of this film is the spirit going through that town, about connecting to the history and the ancestors. Then Ira had this idea that he wanted to really pursue another film about his familys history. 2023 EDGE DeeJay Holmes to officially visit Ole Miss. You find out where those roosters and chickens are laying and get their eggs. Click Manage settings for more information and to manage your choices. Pahokee edge rusher DeeJay Holmes made an official visit to UCF this past weekend. Digital Trends: This entire process has been a seven-year-long journey. More: Three people shot, wounded during 'huge' block party in Pahokee after Muck Bowl, More: Man shot in Pahokee after annual Muck Bowl football game dies, sheriff's office says. Scuba Certification; Private Scuba Lessons; Scuba Refresher for Certified Divers; Try Scuba Diving; Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox) Georgetown is not the only premier university that recruited Boldin. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. suggest it has been on the list continually since 1994. McKinley and Suchak hoped to give back in others ways as well. . "This is a football community," Thompson said. You know, people are poor, they dont care, [and] theyre just surviving and struggling. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Everglades Preparatory Academy, 380 East Main St. (grades 912). Pahokee's storied history on the grid iron Pahokee has a knack for creating shining stars, particularly on the football field. Theyre maintaining that history. G.A.P Christian Academy, 183 S Lake Ave. (K12 Education), "James Patterson headed west to ask 'What the hell happened here?' They completely disagreed it was almost like they got set up," Suchak said. Thompson enrolled at Pahokee four decades ago when he left his family of migrant laborers to concentrate on getting a college scholarship, and returned as coach six years ago. Do you have a blog? It was a chance to tell that story. Having learned from that collaboration, theyve followed up with a doc that also has deeply personal meaning to Ira. It's a way of life. Anthony Bernard Evans, 39, and Lanorris Lee, 34, were arrested in connection with the killing. 18.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. Pahokee football player heading to Ivy League school: Today is National Signing Day. SHARE. Sorry, an error occurred during subscription. On December 18, 2009, Damien Cave, Miami Bureau Chief of the New York Times, wrote an article describing Pahokee's economic plight and the town's hopes that a new marina project might help rejuvenate business. Ira reached out to Suchakwho runs an organization called Youth FXasking for help and technical advice. He doesnt go out. Its very exciting. Thompson's answer to the madness was simple. We had all these things they dont even have anymore. Part of what Ira and I are trying to do is use my resources through Youth FX, to bring training to young people to be able to tell their own stories without folks like us coming down there. 2023 Independent Television Service (ITVS). By clicking Accept all you agree that Yahoo and our partners will process your personal information, and use technologies such as cookies, to display personalised ads and content, for ad and content measurement, audience insights, and product development. The names of the other two victims a man and a woman remain undisclosed at the request of their families. Zach Berry 02/01/23. Butler paused. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. So I never actually lived in Pahokee. We saw them [the opposing team] collapsing and the coaches collapsing. "This is how people in Pahokee have been living for over a hundred years now because they have been so isolated," Suchak said. 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