CALLED UP: The Emmett Ashford Story is a one-hour documentary being produced by the sports filmmaking team of Raymond Bell and Doug Harris to heighten awareness about the untold stories of historical American sports pioneers and legends.

CALLED UP is about American sports pioneer Emmett Ashford’s tough journey to becoming Major League Baseball’s (MLB) first African American umpire (1966) during the turbulent Civil Rights Movement. The documentary serves to educate viewers about how MLB afforded Emmett Ashford the authority to become the first of his race to make key “on field” game decisions as an umpire.

CALLED UP is being directed by award-winning documentary filmmaker Doug Harris, who produced OUT: The Glenn Burke Story, a critically acclaimed film about Major League Baseball’s first openly gay player. The nationally televised OUT documentary was nominated for an Emmy and the GLAAD Award.