This year’s National Day of Racial Healing at Hope College will feature “T-Rex,” a documentary film about Claressa “T-Rex” Shields from Flint, who at age 17 became the first woman in history to win the gold medal in the 2012 Olympic boxing, on Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 6:30 p.m. in the Knickerbocker Theatre.
The public is invited. Admission is free.
“T-Rex” is an intimate coming-of-age story about a new kind of American heroine. For the first time ever, women’s boxing is included in the 2012 Olympics. Fighting for gold from the U.S. is Claressa “T-Rex” Shields, who at just 17 is by far the youngest competitor. From the streets of Flint, Claressa is undefeated and utterly confident. Her fierceness extends beyond the ring. She protects her family at any cost, even when their instability and addictions threaten to derail her dream. Claressa does have one stable force in her life. Coach Jason Crutchfield has trained her since she was just a scrawny 11-year-old hanging out at his gym. Jason always wanted a champion, he just never thought it’d be a girl. Her relationships with her coach and her family grow tense as she gets closer to her dream. But Claressa is fierce and determined. She desperately wants to take her family to a better, safer place, and winning a gold medal could be her only chance. But even at the pinnacle of success, Claressa has to reckon with the fact that not all dreams are created equal, and the real fight has only just begun.
“T-Rex,” which premiered at SXSW and aired on PBS’s “Independent Lens,” has toured around the country, including the Capital City Black Film Festival. A preview is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omGJ7NG5P4o
A panel discussion will follow the screening, and will include the film’s producer, Sue “Jaye” Johnson, and coach Jason Crutchfield.
The “T-Rex” film was turned into a narrative film by Amazon MGM Studios that opened in theaters across the country on Christmas Day. The film is called “The Fire Inside,” starring Brian Tyree Henry and Ryan Destiny, written by Barry Jenkins and directed by Rachel Morrison. For more information please visit: https://www.mgm.com/movies/the-fire-inside
Sue “Jaye” Johnson is an award-winning journalist who began documenting women boxers after her own experience in the ring. She traveled to tournaments where women were competing to be the first to box in the Olympic Games. It was 2011 when she met Claressa Shields, who at only 16 was competing as an adult for the first time. Johnson began interviewing and documenting Claressa’s life in Flint and her journey to the London Olympics, bringing Claressa’s story to the attention of millions of listeners and viewers through her stories on National Public Radio and The New York Times. She partnered with filmmakers Drea Cooper and Zackary Canepari to create “T-Rex.”
Coach Jason Crutchfield, a native of Flint, began his boxing career as an amateur, competing in local and national tournaments. His success in the ring led to multiple state and national championships. After retiring as a fighter, Crutchfield turned to coaching. For more than 30 years, he has been a volunteer coach at Berston Field House, a youth athletic center in the heart of Flint. He trained Claressa Shields from the time she was 11 and guided her to two Olympic gold medals.
National Day of Racial Healing falls annually on the Tuesday following Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The event at Hope, along with an NDORH Racial Healing Circle, is sponsored by the college’s Office of Culture and Inclusive Excellence; Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Center; Center for Diversity and Inclusion; the Black Student Union; Women of Color United; and GROW Advocacy Council.
To inquire about accessibility or if you need accommodations to fully participate in the event, please email accommodations@hope.edu. Updates related to events are posted when available at hope.edu/calendar in the individual listings.
The Knickerbocker Theatre is located in downtown Holland at 86 E. 8th St., between College and Columbia Avenues.