Filmmakers scout Paducah locations for movie on first integrated Little League team in Kentucky
This Field Looks Green To Me… The Movie Comes To Paducah
Breakthrough Interview with Ron Schmidt
The 1954 Little League Champions are highlighted in the documentary Black In Blue.
Special thanks to Producer Paul Wagner and Paul Karem for the use of this clip.
Fox 8 Cleveland Features Daylan Jernigan and Teon Smith
On June 3, 2019, Wayne Dawson of Fox 8 Cleveland featured a piece on Daylan Jernigan and Teon Smith.
If you’ve been following our blog, you have been introduced to these two young men. A few months back Ron Schmidt met with Mr. Dawson they felt Daylan and Teon’s story needed to be known to a wider audience.
To watch the Fox 8’s feature, click here.
ST. ED'S ANNOUNCES TEON SMITH '19 AS MAN OF THE YEAR FOR THE CLASS OF 2019
This is a reposting from St. Edwards High School’s.
ST. ED'S ANNOUNCES TEON SMITH '19 AS MAN OF THE YEAR FOR THE CLASS OF 2019
Every year since 1956, St. Edward High School has singled out one outstanding Edsman from each graduating class and has presented him with the St. Edward High School Man of the Year Award, the highest honor that St. Ed's can bestow on a student. The Man of the Year Award recognizes an extraordinary young man who has demonstrated dedication to improving himself and the community. The Man of the Year Award candidate is a student who consistently displays the positive, caring attitude of a well-rounded Christian young man who upholds our Holy Cross values and has the competence to see and the courage to act in today's world. Dan Conway '19, Alex Hauptman '19, Jack Loesch '19, Rami Moussa '19 and Teon Smith '19 were this year's Man of the Year nominees and on Wednesday night at the Academic Awards Night Ceremony President Jim Kubacki announced Teon Smith as the Man of the Year for the Class of 2019.
Teon Smith, son of Tracy Green and Teon Smith, will be attending Boston College this fall to major in Finance and Economics. While at St. Ed's, Teon exhibited leadership as Football Team Captain, Retreat Leader, Get the Edge Counselor and as a leader for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Teon's versatility in extracurricular activities ranges from Diversity Club and the Student Minister Advisory Board to Liturgical Choir and Stage Crew for this past spring's production of Jekyll & Hyde. As a well-rounded student athlete, Teon has played for St. Ed's Football, Rugby, Wrestling and Track and Field programs and was a starter for the 2018 St. Edward Football Champions last fall. Teon has also exemplified what it means to be a servant leader through his participation with Young Neighbors in Action, St. Ed's Produce Distribution through the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and Eagles on Foot in addition to his service throughout the Cleveland community at St. Malachi, St. Vitus, the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, Look Up to Cleveland, the Salvation Army and the West Side Catholic Center. As both a St. Joseph Scholar and Forward Scholar as well, Teon is a wonderful example of what it means to be an Edsman.
"The four pillars of Holy Cross have taught me a lot and I've learned that true excellence is achieved through discipline and effort. Through my servant leadership, I've learned to accommodate the needs of others before myself and I've become humbled by the blessing that I have," says Teon. "Throughout my time at St. Ed's, I had to step out of my comfort zone and open myself to new perspectives. With the new relationships I've made throughout these four years, I've learned important life skills that I will carry with me for life. Through my experiences at St. Ed's, I've realized that anything is possible."
Congratulations to Teon for being honored with this year's Man of the Year Award!
A note from Ron Schmidt
It’s been a while since we talked with you about our film, This Field Looks Green to Me. We think the time is ripe to make this movie. The members of the Film Academy awarded Green Book the best picture of the year. Green Book, set in the 1960s, is based on the true story of Don Shirley, an African-American musician, and his white driver, and how they deal with Jim Crow laws. It’s proof that simple, but meaningful, stories are rewarded by the Academy members. The budget for this movie was $23 million, and to date has grossed $315 million worldwide.
This Field Looks Green To Me, portrays the story of three childhood friends, and their struggles growing up with the Jim Crow laws in the early 1950s. Our story is built around the saga of the second integrated Little League Baseball league in the South. It is a powerful story of relationships told in a historical context.
While Green Book received an A+ from ticket buyers in CinemaScore and includes Octavia Spencer as an executive producer, it has been criticized for being soft on racism, weak on historical content, and for its director claiming the “whole story is about love.”
Our movie provides a hard look at some of the realities and difficult life lessons these kids faced. Our message is neither “left nor right” but is a reality check on where we come from and the challenges ahead. A symbolic message learned by the kids is to develop self-awareness that our words and actions, intentional or not, affect those around us.
While I fictionalized the story, I went to great lengths to corroborate this true story during the 50 hours of oral history recordings of the players and coaches. These recordings are archived at the Kentucky Historical Society in Frankfort.
We believe our movie will appeal to a diverse audience of parents, children, grandparents, and, of course – baseball players, fans and others.
Our Hollywood producer, Darren Moorman, recently released his latest movie, Run the Race; also a testament that value-based sports movies have an audience. Tim Tebow is one of the backers. Darren is well connected in Hollywood and is assisting us in securing high-caliber actors.
We have spoke with several investors drawn to the “grass roots” angle of This Field Looks Green To Me. While we continue to discuss this project with large investor groups, we are also open to others who see the value and likely impact of this film and who wish to provide the financial support. In response we are making Investment Units available at $60,000 per Unit. I believe our movie will have a strong effect on our future leaders.
Thanks for your interest,
Ron Schmidt, Executive Producer
Damian Goggans
We have mentioned on occasion that our Executive Producer Ron Schmidt mentors several young men in Cleveland Ohio. The other day we received a note from Erik Mann, Executive Director of The Cleveland Classical Guitar Society that Damian Goggans, one of their students, and one of the young men that Ron mentors, was featured on the CBS’s This Morning, this past week.
We thought you might like to get to know him.
The Power of Mentors
The Power of Mentors was produced as we work to secure the funding for our first feature 'This Field Looks Green to Me. In our movie, we explore what life was like in 1950's, to bring us a perspective on our world today. Set in a small Appalachian coal mining town we take a look at how the Jim Crow laws of the south affected not only adults but children on both sides of the color line. Today’s kids have different challenges: gangs, guns, and opioids. And though they are living in two different times, the question remains the same: How do you manage to grow up without getting caught in the web of prejudice and violence?
The Green Fields Initiative is an outcome of our film that we are currently developing and it is designed to bring kids and local law enforcement together by building ball fields and relationships in the urban and rural areas to prevent gang and drug involvement.
Daylan Jernigan is a Senior at St. Edward High School in Cleveland, Ohio
Teon Smith is a Junior at St. Edward High School in Cleveland, Ohio
These young men are two fine example of the young men, and women, who just need someone to step in and bring a little bit of hope to their world. Giving hope to kids is so important. If kids don’t have hope, they will never have the opportunity to dream about a better life.
Daylan's Story
Daylan's Story was produced as we work to secure the funding for our first feature 'This Field Looks Green to Me. In our movie, we explore what life was like in 1950's, to bring us a perspective on our world today. Set in a small Appalachian coal mining town we take a look at how the Jim Crow laws of the south affected not only adults but children on both sides of the color line. Today’s kids have different challenges: gangs, guns, and opioids. And though they are living in two different times, the question remains the same: How do you manage to grow up without getting caught in the web of prejudice and violence?
The Green Fields Initiative is an outcome of our film that we are currently developing and it is designed to bring kids and local law enforcement together by building ball fields and relationships in the urban and rural areas to prevent gang and drug involvement.
Daylan Jernigan is a Junior at St. Edward High School in Cleveland, Ohio and is a fine example of the young men, and women, who just need someone to step in and bring a little bit of hope to their world. Giving hope to kids is so important. If kids don’t have hope, they will never have the opportunity to dream about a better life.
Picture Credits:
African-American family, May 09, 1949, Daily Reflector (Greenvillie, N.C.), J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, accessed 22 January 2018 digital.lib.ecu.edu/2007
Carriers at fair, Oct. 09 1964-Oct 10 1964, Daily Reflector Negative Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, accessed 22 January 2018 digital.lib.ecu.edu/7483
A Greyhound bus trip from Louisville, Kentucky, to Memphis Tennessee, and the terminals. Sign at bus station. Rome, Georgia, Bubley, Esther, 1943 September, Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA/OWI Collection, [LC-DIG-fsa-8d33365]
Miners' wives and children on the front porch of a typical, fifty year old house. Kentucky Straight Creek Coal Company, Belva Mine, abandoned after explosion [in] Dec. 1945, Four Mile, Bell County, Kentucky. Lee Russell, [541201] catalog.archives.gov/id/541201
Middlesboro, Kentucky images special thanks to Byers Rogan.