The lights dimmed, the projector fired up, and Dallas Police Department leader officers from several community-based units gathered at the Mark Cuban Heroes Basketball Center for a screening of “Black Ice: The Rhythm.”
“A lot of our coaches have never played hockey,” said Trina Terrell Andrews, CEO of Mark Cuban's Heroes Basketball Center. “The key for us is getting experience.”
The new film from Dallas producer Ashley C. and writer-director Gerald McBride tells the story of a group of black roller skaters turned ice hockey players who confront racism and discrimination while taking on the predominantly white world of hockey. McBride got the idea for the plot after attending a hockey game and not seeing any other African-Americans in the arena.
“I was curious as to where the black players were in hockey,” McBride said. “I want kids to realize and understand that this sport is something they can do.”
“I didn't know anything about sports, but I wanted to give back to my community,” said Ashley C. “I'm from the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and there are a lot of communities similar to the one in this story.”
The goal of screening the film at Mark Cuban's Heroes Basketball Center was to open eyes to what's possible with access and determination, whether it's hockey or any other sport.
“These are community-based officers,” said Terrance Hopkins, a former Dallas Police Department officer and past president of the Dallas Black Police Association, “so now they're going to be equipped with this information and when they meet young people, they're going to be able to say, hey, this is something new, let's get outside of the communities where they're often just confined.”
“Black Ice: The Rhythm” runs through June 27th at Galaxy Theatre Grandscape at The Colony.
