October 23, 2024

SVSU to screen documentary ‘Beyond Their Years’ with guests from the Saginaw Spirit

Film highlights parallel stories of athletes and social justice trailblazers Herb Carnegie and Buck O’Neil

Members of the Saginaw Spirit hockey team will join Saginaw Valley State University for a screening of the documentary “Beyond Their Years,” which reflects on the athletic and social justice strides made by sports icons Herb Carnegie (hockey) and Buck O’Neil (baseball). Presented by SVSU’s Office of Diversity Programs, the film will be followed by a live panel discussion moderated by Rico Phillips, director of cultural diversity and inclusion for the Ontario Hockey League. Members of the Saginaw Spirit hockey team will attend the screening and discussion.

The screening, which will be held in the Malcolm Field Theatre in SVSU’s Curtiss Hall, begins at 7:00 p.m. The 30-minute panel discussion will immediately follow the film, and a reception will close the evening. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is appreciated.

Created by Bryant McBride and Daniel Horgan, “Beyond Their Years” celebrates the lives of Carnegie and O’Neil, standout athletes who helped break barriers in sports.

Carnegie, who was effectively barred from the NHL, had a successful career playing senior hockey Canada. Following his retirement from playing, Carnegie embarked on a successful career in investment and founded one of Canada’s first hockey schools, Future Aces. He was inducted, posthumously, into the Hockey Hall of Fame, Builder Category, in 2022. In all, he is a member of 14 halls of fame, including the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame and the Canada Sports Hall of Fame.

John “Buck” O’Neil’s career in baseball spanned nearly 80 years. As a player, manager, coach, scout and executive, O’Neil played semi-professional baseball, followed by stints with barnstorming and minor league clubs before breaking into the Negro American League. O’Neil made his mark with the Kansas City Monarchs, remaining with the club for almost 20 years as a player and player-manager. In 1955, O’Neil joined the Chicago Cubs as a scout. When the Cubs promoted him to their major league coaching staff in 1962, O’Neil became the first Black coach to serve on a National League or American League roster. O’Neil was inducted, posthumously

Following the screening, Rico Phillips, director of cultural diversity and inclusion for the Ontario Hockey League, will moderate a panel discussion about the importance of inclusivity and equity. A reception will follow. Register for the event here.