Smart's production company also acquired the rights to John Hawkins, an Ole Miss college student who in 1981 refused to carry the Confederate flag.
Sherry Rayn Barnett / Stefanie Keenan / Getty Images / Getty Images for
In 1981, Hawkins was at the University of Mississippi under a band scholarship. He became the first Black cheerleader to join the Ole Miss Varsity Cheerleader Squad. When asked by a reporter if he was willing to carry the Confederate flag on game days, he said no — which led to racial abuse and threats. Hawkins' story resurfaced in 2020, when the Mississippi legislature voted on whether to replace the controversial state flag.
"We spent months trying to track down Mr. Hawkins, now a successful businessman, and have him trust us enough to tell his life story," Giannakopoulos said."This is not just part of American history, but it's also about finding the hero in each one of us when we don't even think we matter." Added Smart:"Without thinking, John Hawkins answered a simple direct question and set in motion an historical firestorm that raged for 40 years."
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