Premium entertainment network EPIX has announced that "Forgotten Four: The Integration of Pro Football," an EPIX Original Documentary, will make its World Premiere [tonight] Tuesday, September 23, 2014, at 8PM ET.
The 60-minute documentary, narrated by Jeffrey Wright and produced by Ross Greenburg, tells the little-known story of 4 outstanding and brave African American men – Kenny Washington, Woody Strode, Marion Motley and Bill Willis – who broke the color barrier in pro football in 1946, one year before Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey were credited with integrating Major League Baseball.
EPIX has joined forces with the National Football League to celebrate the achievements of the "Forgotten Four" with local screenings in NFL team markets across the country, that were followed by panel discussions on the current state of race relations and athletics.
The hardships and triumphs of the "Forgotten Four" are told through the recollections of their families and those who have researched these pioneers. Those interviewed include "Forgotten Four" family members Tony Motley (Marion Motley’s grandson), Mike Brown (Paul Brown’s son), Clem and William Willis, Jr. (Bill Willis’ sons), Karin L. Cohen (Kenny Washington’s daughter) and Kalai Strode (Woody Strode’s son).
An all-star lineup of football legends also share their insights, including: Don Shula (Hall of Fame coach who also played for the Cleveland Browns), Bob Gain, Sherman Howard, Jim Hardy (Los Angeles Rams) and George Taliaferro (Indiana University).
Participating writers/historians include Joe Horrigan (Pro Football Hall of Fame), Lonnie G. Bunch (National Museum of African American History and Culture), Khalil Gibran Muhammad (Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture), Jarrett Bell (USA Today) and Brad Pye, Jr. (Los Angeles Sentinel).
During the documentaries’ premiere tonight, join the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag, "#ForgottenFour," and on Facebook at http://Facebook.com/EPIX, and on the EPIX webpage http://www.epix.com/forgotten-four-the-integration-of-pro-football/.
Watch the trailer below:
