Morehouse graduate Edwin Moses, one of the greatest athletes of all time, will return to his alma mater next month for a unique occasion. The two-time Olympic champion in the 400-meter hurdles is expected on campus in Atlanta for the world premiere of Moses – 13 Steps, a documentary about his life on and off the track that will close the 6th annual Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival.
The film, directed by Michael Wech and executive produced by a group including Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary, documents a man who holds a track and field record that may never be broken: For nine years, nine months and nine days Moses went unbeaten in the 400-meter hurdles, between 1977 and 1987. A streak of 122 consecutive victories.
Samuel L. Jackson in ‘Moses – 13 Steps’
Broadview Pictures
Fellow Morehouse grads Spike Lee (class of 1979) and Samuel L. Jackson (class of ’72) are among those who appear in the film, along with Neil deGrasse Tyson, Lonnie Bunch, and Olympic champs Tommie Smith, Michael Johnson, Daley Thompson, and Donna de Varona, and renowned track coach Bob Kersee. As the film shows, Moses – who majored in physics and industrial engineering at Morehouse – dominated his opponents on the track by outthinking them.
“His path to becoming unbeaten began after discovering that he could use physics and math calculations to determine the exact number of steps needed to soar over hurdles with ease — ‘13 steps,’” notes a release. “The film demonstrates how Moses’ triumphs on the track not only drove significant changes in sport science, but it also catapulted athlete compensation and equal pay rights as well as the fight against doping. It underscores Moses’ enduring legacy and impact on history.”
Broadview Pictures
The world premiere of Moses – 13 Steps will take place Saturday, Sept. 21, at Morehouse College’s Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel. The occasion will see Moses presented with the inaugural Dr. Edwin C. Moses Humanitarian Award, an honor named for him, “recognizing his monumental contributions both on and off the track, which have inspired generations to overcome barriers and drive significant social and scientific change.”
“Edwin has been a wonderful pillar of advocacy for the Morehouse community,” said Kara Walker, executive director of the Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival. “His global impact deserves a grand stage, and we are deeply honored that he chose to come back home to our campus and festival for the premiere of his life’s story and work.”
Edwin Moses on the track.
Broadview Pictures/Getty Images
Following the world premiere, Moses – 13 Steps will receive the festival’s Enlightened Lens – Documentary Feature Award, an honor celebrating “films that offer unique perspectives and illuminate subjects that highlight the positive aspects of humanity.”
Moses – 13 Steps is produced by Leopold Hoesch of Broadview Pictures, executive produced by Lori McCreary and Morgan Freeman of Revelations Entertainment, and backed by Film und Medienstiftung. Along with McCreary and Freeman, EPs include Scott Borden, James Younger, and Vera Bertram.
“This film delves into the life of the Olympic 400-meter hurdles champion Edwin Moses. On the track, no one could match him for a decade,” said Freeman, the EP and Oscar-winning actor. “Off the track, he left an even greater legacy.”
Moses serves as global chair of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. He is the emeritus chairman of the board of USADA, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, and recipient of the Congressional Gold Medal, among many other honors.
Edwin Moses runs to glory at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, August 3, 1984.
Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
Moses set multiple world records during his track career and won his first Olympic gold medal in the 400-meter hurdles at the 1976 Games in Montreal. He won his second gold in that event at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles, and very likely would have won gold at the 1980 Games in Moscow if then-President Jimmy Carter had not ordered a boycott of the event to protest the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan.
Moses’s winning streak finally came to an end on June 4, 1987, when Danny Harris outran him. But Moses followed that loss with another 10-event winning streak that included gold at the World Championships in Rome in August 1987. At a preview screening of Moses – 13 Steps at the recent UNDERRATED Film Festival in Hollywood, Moses noted that he never lost to the same man twice in his entire career. At that Q&A, he also credited his success to Morehouse, the famed HBCU that first welcomed the young man from Dayton, Ohio onto campus in 1973.
Edwin Moses speaks at the UNINTERRUPTED Film Festival in Hollywood on July 11, 2024.
Matthew Carey
“If I had gone to Ohio State, any college, on a scholarship – which I wasn’t able to get; I wasn’t good enough – and been in ideal conditions for a track and field athlete, I would never have gone to the Olympic Games,” he said. “It was just that environment at that time and being around those kind of brothers — and the sisters over at Spelman and Clark and Morris Brown — being in a compartmentalized space where you could grow.”
You can watch the trailer for Moses – 13 Steps below.
