More than 100 San Jose State community members gathered in the Student Union Ballroom Friday to watch the premiere of the documentary-series “Adversity,” directed by Jay Williams, Radio, TV and Film senior.
The docu-series, which contains two-of-the-five slated episodes, was put on by the Black Student Union and focuses on the 2021 outdoor season of SJSU track and field team.
The Black Student Union is an SJSU organization that says it unites and educates students of color about Black history and culture.
“I’m very proud about the story,” Williams said after the premiere. “ ‘Adversity’ acts as a sort of throughline for so many connections in the team.”
The premiere was originally planned to show in the Student Union Theater, located in the lower level of the Student Union, but was changed last minute because of flooding issues.
Black Student Union members and Williams all said they were first informed of the flooding on the day of the event.
“Adversity” is an intimate look into the world of collegiate athletics.
William’s covert cinematography provides a window into the aspirations and struggles of SJSU’s track and field student-athletes.
“A story can come from anywhere, whether it relates to one athlete or a past coach or alumni,” Williams said.
The series mainly focuses on Charles Ryan, who became the director of the track and field team in 2021, and the team’s aspirations to live up to the expectations of the university’s historical “Speed City” track team.
San Jose’s track team was given the nickname of “Speed City” from the late ’50s to the late ’70s because of the tremendous success of then-student-athletes.
During that period, Tommie Smith, John Carlos and Lee Evans collectively broke 49 world records in track and field and competed at the top of the Olympic level, according to the SJSU Alumni webpage.
Smith and Carlos are most well-known for their protests against racial discrimination in America in the Mexico City 1968 Olympic Games on the podium. Evans won two gold medals in the same Olympic Games, setting records that wouldn’t be beaten.
The Olympic Black Power Statue located on campus in front of Dwight Bentel Hall that illustrates Smith and Carlos’ powerful demonstration is used frequently in the “Adversity” documentary.
“The hunger is there [to win]”, senior sprinter Roman Johnson said in the first episode. “We’re speed city. We’re trying to live up to that name.”
The first episode serves as an introduction to the coaches and players and the team’s aspirations to compete in national championships.
The documentary features insight from several interviewees that show the different sides of the sport.
“I almost feel like a therapist at times,” Charles Ryan said in the documentary.
Ryan continually expresses the importance of the student-athletes having a strong bond and a good support system.
“They’ve been a great help to me as a young black man trying to get things done and trying to be a leader and a role model on campus,” said Williams, who is currently the treasurer of the Black Student Union.
The two 50-minute episodes that premiered Friday were met with undivided attention from audience members.
Students featured in the documentary were seen reminiscing about the filming and the work that went into it.
After the premiere, Williams, Ryan and former coach Robert “Bobby” Poynter held a discussion panel and answered audience questions.
“I just wanted to say, let’s congratulate everybody who has been a part of this,” said Zaire Waring, freshman and 2022 track and field student-athlete, at the end of the Q&A portion of the premiere.
Waring stood up from his seat and asked everyone to cheer in celebration of the team’s accomplishments.
Williams shows incredible potential in his filmmaking and the audience feels it. Eyes were glued to the screen during the entire premiere.
“I really liked the turnout, but I wasn’t going to trip” Williams said. “There could have been like 10 people in here and I still would’ve showed up.”
