ABOUT THE PROJECT

In 1993, Ricky Byrdsong was named the first African-American Head Basketball Coach at Northwestern University. On July 2, 1999 Coach Ricky Byrdsong was murdered for his race and the color of his skin. Now, over 20 years later, his son Ricky Jr. is looking toward his father for guidance as he looks to make peace with his traumatic childhood and move on to a new chapter in his life. Though his physical presence may be gone, Ricky Jr. is able to reconnect with his father’s spirit through the stories of those who knew him best, and through this project, finds a way to apply his father’s blueprint for success to his own lifestyle.

The story of Ricky Byrdsong will show how his family and community were able to turn tragedy into triumph by combatting hate with love, which we hope will inspire our audience to take similar action to effect change in their communities. The film will raise awareness about gun violence and hate crimes, as well as consider the systemic socio-political issues of America, all while taking the viewer on a basketball fueled journey through the healing of trauma.

GO FUND ME

Help the Byrdsong documentary complete post-production - please visit our GoFundMe page for more information.