Eddie B. Allen Jr.

Born in Detroit, Eddie began his career as a journalist covering everything from health and social issues to politics and crime, including the high-profile assault of civil rights icon Rosa Parks at her home in 1994. Eddie had previously gained notice for his reporting as a young Detroit News intern when he interviewed the assistant medical examiner in a case that left Malice Green dead from a beating by Detroit police officers; the doctor told Eddie he'd been instructed to testify in court that cocaine, not blows to the head, was the cause of Green's death. The next several years of news gathering fueled Eddie's passion to go out into the streets and tell the stories of everyday, struggling people. An introduction to the nephew of legendary urban fiction author Donald Goines resulted in Eddie's first book, Low Road: The Life and Legacy of Donald Goines (St. Martin's Press, 2004) and a screenplay that Eddie adapted from the book. Lacking any formal film education, he began honing his skills with help from several independent filmmakers like Darryl Taja and Damon "Coke" Daniels, to name a few. Eddie produced in 2013 his first short film, an inspirational lecture by Jimmy Santiago Baca, acclaimed author and writer of the classic urban flick, Blood In, Blood Out.