This poignant, sometimes tearful film about Pasadena City College Lancers’ athlete Walt Butler is as much about Butler’s Christian faith as it is about his athletic prowess. Produced and directed by Dennis Haywood, it will be featured in the PAAFF Black August Film Festival from August 17 to 18 at the Flintridge Center.
Butler, who never missed a day of Sunday worship in Pasadena during his career, frequently competed in a track and field event in the afternoon and was on a plane for home by 6 a.m. the following morning to attend church services.
“It was like a spiritual game I was playing against myself,” says Butler in the film. “I can’t miss. I don’t want to miss. I made it a point to be there. My dad was involved. It was just important to me not to miss. Church on Sundays was a way of life for most families in those days. We used to go to First AME.
“I can still remember the first Christmas play I was in there. I defended Jesus Christ. ‘You guys treat this man this way? He doesn’t deserve it.’ I was just going on and on and on. I had my bow tie and white shirt. And somebody loaned me a briefcase.
“We had a large family,” he continues. “My mom and dad were pretty fair. My dad didn’t drink. My mom didn’t drink. My dad didn’t cuss. And neither did my mom. Through it all, we remained grounded. Later, we went to New Revelation Church, where my father and uncle were deacons. I got involved and helped to bring about a few changes, like getting the building painted inside and outside, new carpet, etc.”
An entrepreneur from an early age, Butler earned his own money by recycling bottles for their redemption value and running a paper route. He attended Pasadena High School and graduated from Pasadena City College with a degree in Public Relations and Outdoor Advertising and served on the Associated Men’s Student Board.
“I knew that I wanted to go to college. I was the only one in my family who went to college. I had people that I wanted to race and beat. So, I had to go to college to do that. Getting beat is not that bad. But you get a shot at that same person, maybe ten times in one year.”
He excelled in football and track and field, eventually becoming the State Junior College Champion in the 120 hurdles after overcoming significant racial and societal challenges.
“That was a very turbulent time in America, not only at PCC but throughout the country. You know, we had Vietnam protests. We had a black community and black power struggles. There was a lot of unrest on the campus.”
In 1979, he used his marketing and business acumen to open Walt Butler Shoes, a cornerstone of Northeast Pasadena retail for three decades. He helped everybody who walked into his store. If you didn’t have the money, he worked with you. Or if you were a good student, he’d “straight-up give you some shoes.”
Now 83 years old, Butler continues to enrich the community by providing space for local entrepreneurs in a building he owns.
In recognition of his athletic achievements and community contributions, Walt was inducted into the Pasadena City College Sports Hall of Fame in 2023. In 2025, he’ll will be inducted into the Pasadena Sports Hall of Fame.
The biopic film could benefit from a deeper discussion of Butler’s family life with his children (only briefly mentioned), especially the interaction with his estranged son Treyjohn Butler, former 2020 Stanford football Cornerback.
Black August is an annual commemoration and prison-based holiday to remember Black freedom fights and political prisoners and to highlight Black resistance against racial oppression. It takes place during the entire calendar month of August. Black August was initiated by the Black Guerilla Family in San Quentin State Prison in 1979 when a group of incarcerated people at San Quentin State Prison came together to commemorate the deaths of brothers Jonathan P. Jackson (d. August 7, 1970) and George L. Jackson (d. August 21, 1971).
The Black August Film Festival features films that deal with social stigmas and issues and a variety of other topics. The festival is filled with thought-provoking content and panels. All proceeds go to the non-profit foundation.
DEETS
Pasadena African-American Film Foundation
Black August Film Festival
August 17-18
Flintridge Center
236 West Mountain, Unit 106
Pasadena, CA. 91103
626.241.5714
See the entire Pasadena African-American Film Foundation Black August Festival calendar at their Web site.
