Alvin would say, when he was going to high school, We had a theater program. They had a crack epidemic. When I first came down there before Bhawin did, I had a chance to tour it and reconnect because I hadnt been there for 35 years. Pahokee has a knack for creating shining stars, particularly on the football field. This community and the surrounding area around the southern shores of Lake Okeechobee, Florida, has a rich history, but the people of Pahokees past has often been skipped over, even by those who live there. The plant closed in 2009. He is a film nerd, cartoonist, classic film poster collector, wannabe screenwriter, and owner of/owned by cats. Pahokee football player heading to Georgetown University, Buc-ees to open third location in Florida, Kodak Black learns hell get drug treatment program, then gets Jolly Rancher, Hobe Sound surfer describes bloody mess after being bitten by shark, Missing Port St. Lucie man, 73, found safe on I-95 in Martin County, 3 men arrested in fatal shooting in November, Agents work to combat uptick in migrant smuggling, PBSO: Man arrested in fatal shooting during family gathering, DeSantis launches new book, ratcheting up 2024 speculation. "This is a football community," Thompson said. [25] This is in addition to $200,000 pledged by Senator Abruzzo in 2014. . The Jersey boys found themselves outmatched, both by their opponents and the oppressive heat and humidity. And while football may draw the headlines, Pahokee is a city with a long track record of triumph, tradition, and tragedy. NFL . Headed by Bridgett and Alvin, the Deans count seven generations of family with roots growing deep in Pahokees rich soil. The result is an 80-minute documentary, Outta the Muck, that is making rounds on the independent film circuit and is airing on local PBS stations during Black History Month. Enrollment: 106 (2016). But how does it actually play out? We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. They had a crack epidemic. More: Three people shot, wounded during 'huge' block party in Pahokee after Muck Bowl, More: Man shot in Pahokee after annual Muck Bowl football game dies, sheriff's office says. I think after the pandemic, people have talked a lot about mutual aid and community. But Pahokee lost in the state semifinals the past three years, twice to Avon Park and once to Wildwood. Johnson, 31, died Nov. 10, four days after he and two other people were shot on South Lake Avenue and Daniel Place. We worked on a film called The Throwaways that we released in 2014. This is something we have been looking forward to for so long. If it wasnt for Pahokee, there wouldnt be no me. They were selling drugs. I didnt want to just go in there and start filming. Youll see people sharing their catch, or sharing the rabbits and the fruits and vegetables. This is not my place as an outsider. Outta the Muck | Official Trailer | Independent Lens | PBS, Today's tech news, curated and condensed for your inbox. These are the barriers weve got to break down. Football is big. Bridgett Dean, McKinleys niece, a mother of four, earns her nursing degree at age 55. [10] Local residents refer to Pahokee as "The Muck", which signifies the mineral-rich dark soil in which sugar cane, citrus fruits, and corn are grown by agribusinesses. Our documentary tells the story of Pahokee, FL. 457 followers. He fulfilled his sailing dream last summer by cruising around the Abaco Islands. Ira reached out to Suchakwho runs an organization called Youth FXasking for help and technical advice. With less than 6,000 residents, the rural city has produced numerous football players who went on to. Zora Neale Hurston talked about it in a different aspect of history and perseverance. $3K reward offered in block party shooting that killed former Pahokee football star. They were selling drugs. Then they had an AIDS epidemic. Information about your device and internet connection, like your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Yahoo websites and apps. But despite the lower economic profile, Muck City's schools routinely win state championships in the intensely competitive state of Florida and produce professional athletes. But when Pahokee football and Pahokee gangsters do butt heads, it can rock the community, which has invested so much physically, emotionally and spiritually in its Blue Devils. That became the core element, even in playing the title, Outta the Muck, as a double meaning. G.A.P Christian Academy, 183 S Lake Ave. (K12 Education), "James Patterson headed west to ask 'What the hell happened here?' Im glad my people got me out of there. Well, were going to keep an eye on your kids. You know everybody, so that was really beautiful for me to experience. (Winter Garden, FL), Pleasant Grove Eagles Planning, Zoning Commission considers Avimor annexation proposal, Patchy AM fog, then increasing clouds with l The Blue Devils got close in 1976, with a team that included New Orleans Saints All-Pro Rickey Jackson and current Pahokee assistant Ronnie Osbourne, who played for the U.S. Football League champion Michigan Panthers. Walter Boldin. Pahokee, with 904 students, has won four of the last five state titles in its class. Seeking to offer a unique narrative of Black achievement in a community rife with poverty and too often spotlighted for violence, filmmakers Ira McKinley and Bhawin Suchak instead focus their lens on the fiercely self-determined Dean family. There were 1,936 housing units at an average density of 358.9 per square mile (138.6/km2). CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. To me it was the Garden of Eden. Allowing them to grow into who they are and not judge them, and not demonize them. Another classic Pahokee tale is how the young boys develop their quickness by chasing rabbits as they flee burning cane fields. They canceled everything after talking all this mess on social media. In fourth grade, he decided to try football. Enrollment: 375 (2015). And through it all, the three players have worked toward an eventual common goal a scholarship to the University of Michigan. Like these guys went through the season and they actually ended up winning the game," Suchak said. The stories of Black communities and the historical context they have come up through and how history has impacted the present times, I think, are really woven into this in a beautiful way. Me and Bhawin were filming them. Investigators have not commented on events leading to the shooting. I used to go there two times a year but never lived in that type of setting. 20,155 views. We briefly touched on the football team and its importance to the community. "What's so incredible about this place, it's literally 40 miles west of West Palm and it's a completely different environment. Other Members of the Class of 2010: Russ Grimm, Dick LeBeau, Floyd Little, John Randle, Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith Weve made a lot of these stories invisible and marginalized as if they were irrelevant. At Pahokee High School, Blue Devils football star Bijay Boldin is standing out in the classroom as well. But this ire isn't simply directed toward the knife-wielding killers of horror cinema. The 63-bed general hospital, financially nonviable, closed in 1998 after years of contention, a change from public to private ownership, and three lawsuits. Bhawin: Its part of our impact project with Outta the Muck. We thought it was going to be more of an ESPN. Its a country town, and dem boys are country with different aspects, but they survive. Holmes has been one of the state's most. Credit: Maya Suchak / Football Team lined up, Credit: Maya Suchak / Directors Bhawin Suchak and Ira Mckinley, Credit: Maya Suchak / Willie Dean and his Family, Josh Johnson heads to therapy in new comedy special Up Here Killing Myself, The Big Paybacks Erika Alexander and Whitney Dow on reparations in America. Thats why the town went down. Thats something I really admired about Alvin while were filming that you dont see a lot. Others want to try to play football. This is a story of what has been happening for centuries there. You wonder why they want to kill the education. "[13], In 1963, with access to Cuban sugar restricted, a sugar plant was built, and agriculture shifted to the mechanized crop of sugar cane. The median income for a household in the city was $26,731, and the median income for a family was $26,265. I was feeling really overwhelmed and tired. TWEET. [15], Everglades Regional Medical Center, at 200 S. Barfield Highway was founded in 1936 as Everglades General Hospital; the current building opened in 1950. But we had a season [where] we went in before we even got really big funding. They went to Miami University to train with the AC and all this other stuff. It took them about two years to really get the feel of us," McKinley said. Both are expected to survive their injuries, deputies said Friday. Ira reached out to Suchakwho runs. Be more independent. If you are not receiving newsletters, please check your spam folder. Unemployment exceeds 25%. "Me and Bhawin looked at each other and said, 'Yo, this team is special' and that was the very first game of their undefeated season," McKinleysaid. Twice as big. He doesnt party and do any of that stuff. My niece, whom we featured in there, her son was just a baby when I left. There is no ESPN+ free trial available, but its offered at a significant discount as part of the Disney Bundle. Led Pahokee with 92 tackles (25.5 loss) and 19.5 sacks. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. [26], A short by Aaron Kyle. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. "I think the whole town cried last year," said Ervin Butler, a taxi driver who has lived in Pahokee since 1928 and will turn 67 on Christmas Day. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Gray, who was 23, was a member of Pahokee High's 2016 state champion football team. The way Alvin mentored and cared about these young men was important to showthat masculinity can be expressed in many different ways. Victoria Lewis The muck has always been about survival. I still got family membersmy bloodline starts there. Sorry, an error occurred during subscription. Very big.". ", "It's not that people are just looking to constantly find what's out here," Suchak said. We are trying to do a workshop right now for youth media [in Pahokee], and the pushback we get on trying to do it is crazy. When I came back, he was grown [with] kids. Pahokee football player heading to Georgetown University. Theres got to be more hope for the youth and others than playing football. What are the messages you want people to take away from this film? Everybody cant be a football player. Still hoping to find entertainment from across the pond? Wile E. Coyote got the Road Runner. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com. So I never actually lived in Pahokee. I left Florida in 79 and 80 and went back in 2015. To me, that is one of the biggest misconceptions. Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Gray's mother was not harmed. DE Deejay Holmes (Pahokee) . In the city, 38.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 10.3% were aged 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% were 65 years of age or older. For someone who doesnt understand the importance of how a local sports team could provide so much to the community, what does football mean to Pahokee? They train in this. PAHOKEE -- As he began his first day back at school Monday morning as coach of a state-championship football team, Don Thompson quickly exited an administration-building door at Pahokee Junior-Senior High School and tried desperately to get to his third-period gym class. Hall of Famers, Pro Bowlers, MVPs, Player Linker Tool . Such was the tack of a man who had just fulfilled his community's dream of winning the Class 2A state football championship Saturday, beating Port St. Joe 24-7 in Daytona Beach. Filmmakers have once again ventured to The Glades. -type football story, but then realized that narrative has been done before. Proclaiming Pahokee the "best defense in Palm Beach County - probably in Florida," Holmes, the Post's defensive player of the year, wants Hawthorne again, hoping to avenge last year's 51-12 . Digital Trends Media Group may earn a commission when you buy through links on our sites. 93% are from low-income families. Home. If youre looking to watch online, many of the best live TV streaming services wont be able to help, as ESPN isnt providing a national TV broadcast for them to live stream. Theyre rich in the land growing their own fruits and vegetables, fishing from that lake. Bridget said, Well give you the shirt off our back. When you start bringing in the environmental shifts and changes in the climate, people are going to need to learn how to be in relationship with the land in a different way. Despite the poverty and violence, 'The Muck' has forged over 40 NFL players. Suchak: I think there are so many different messages, but I think one that I really hope people see is that these small rural communities have really been one of the threads of the tapestry of this country. Then 30 years later, Edward R. Murrow talked about migration, and thats how my family moved to New York. Dissolution of the city has been proposed. People would ask, Oh, its footballarent you talking about how dangerous it is? Thats part of it, but I want to show theres also a level of love and community and camaraderie here that is so critical to the life of these young men. "I'll be there. Lodge managed a 32-5 record over three seasons, winning a Florida Dairy Farmers Coach of the Year award in 2020. Pahokee is known as the Muck because of the nutrient-rich soil on the shores of Lake Okeechobee. I spent some weeks with the fam. To me, a lot of the women are doing better because a lot of them are going out and getting educations, Bridgett is getting an RN [registered nursing] degree. [12] Hurricane Wilma, in 2005, destroyed a newly built marina. This is not my place as an outsider. There were 1,710 households, out of which 44.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.3% were married couples living together, 22.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.3% were non-families. Bhawin: That became the core element, even in playing the title, Outta the Muck, as a double meaning. Beyond Football: Pahokee, Florida's History of Black Resilience February 14, 2023 by Craig Phillips in Behind the Films This community and the surrounding area around the southern shores of. In 1939, the Federal Writers' Project guide said of Pahokee: "From Christmas until April, Pahokee is a 24-hour town; long trains of refrigerated cars roll out for northern markets day and night." Theyre rich in resources. My mother and father met in that town and used to date up there. Ira, take me through the origins of exploring your family through Outta the Muck. The school was informed Thursday that . "He made sure education was the center of our attention growing up and that it would be life-changing for us" she said. And if you were in the town, the way that all went down was extremely controversial for them. Duration: 01:20 2/1/2023. Smith is one of three Pahokee players on the Demon Deacons' roster, including D.J. MEET THE SUPERSTARS. Pahokee, one of Palm Beach County's most storied football programs, will be forced to vacate its Class 1A state championship due to the use of an ineligible player . 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