THE CARNEGIE INITIATIVE HOSTS WORLD PREMIERE OF “BEYOND THEIR YEARS” DOCUMENTARY

Toronto, Ontario and Boston, Mass. – June 28, 2023 – The Carnegie Initiative (The CI) hosted the world premiere of a new documentary created by Burst, “Beyond Their Years: The Incredible Legacies of Herb Carnegie and Buck O’Neil,” on Tuesday night. The event, attended by invited guests and media, was held at the Hockey Hall of Fame in downtown Toronto. The film airs nationally across Canada on TSN, TSN.ca, and the TSN app tomorrow (Thursday, June 29) at 9 pm ET. The premiere was made possible through the support of The CI partners – Chase Payment Solutions, Burst, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), and TSN. “This enlightening film tells an important story about how my father, and baseball legend Buck O’Neil, changed the world by choosing love over hate,” The CI Co-Chair Bernice Carnegie shared. “The CI is deeply grateful to have relationships with partners that share our vision of making the world more inclusive and welcoming.” “Beyond Their Years” depicts the compelling story of parallel lives lived by sports and social justice icons Herb Carnegie (hockey) and O’Neil (baseball), who were excluded, because of their race, from competing at the highest professional leagues of the sports they loved. Instead of becoming angry and bitter, they channeled the injustice they both experienced into pioneering work that made their respective sports, and the world, more inclusive. The 48-minute film, that features dozens of interviews and rare footage, ties together their legacies in a verité style that teaches, heals, and humanizes. The documentary was produced by Bryant McBride, Co-Chair of The CI and Founder/CEO of Burst. In 2019, McBride and Burst made the award-winning documentary “Willie” that told the life story of the National Hockey League’s first Black player, Willie O’Ree. Following the screening of “Beyond Their Years,” TSN’s Jermain Franklin moderated a thought-provoking and insightful panel discussion between Bernice Carnegie, McBride, and Rane Carnegie (grandson of Herb Carnegie). “It’s not enough to just watch the film because it serves as a vehicle to spark the types of hard, yet respectful, conversations needed to make real sustainable change,” McBride commented. “It is imperative that we follow in the footsteps of social justice icons like Herb Carnegie and Buck O’Neil and take actionable steps to make this a more inclusive world we live in.” “Beyond Their Years” was created by Burst in partnership with TSN, MLSE, The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, and The Carnegie Initiative. An educational component being created through the kind support from Canadian Tire Jumpstart will launch this fall. Video:  “Beyond Their Years” Trailer WHAT OUR PARTNERS ARE SAYING “Herb Carnegie and Buck O’Neil were true pioneers who shattered barriers and paved the way for future generations in sports. Despite facing intense racism and discrimination throughout their respective careers, both men displayed remarkable talent, resilience, and determination in the face of segregation and exclusion. We couldn’t be more proud to support the Beyond Their Years documentary to showcase their story in the fight against racism in sports.” – Jessica Park, Head of Marketing, JPMorgan Chase & Co. Canada “It’s an honour for us to present the stories of two sports changemakers in Herb Carnegie and Buck O’Neil. This documentary not only highlights a compelling part of sports history, it provides the spark for vitally important conversations on social justice, within the world of sports and beyond.” – Shawn Redmond, VP, Bell Media Sports “As an organization that continuously strives to be a leader of change in sport, we are proud to partner with The Carnegie Initiative to amplify these important stories. We recognize our role in helping to drive systemic change in sport by building awareness with our fans and celebrating the many contributions and legacies of Black pioneers whose efforts have allowed us to continue their work for inclusion, generations later.” – Teri Dennis-Davies, Chief People and Inclusion Officer, MLSE A portion of the proceeds from the film will go to The Carnegie Initiative and The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.