Naomi Osaka urges fans to watch a short film produced by her on the life of the first Congresswoman of color, Patsy Mink
Naomi Osaka recently donned the hat of an executive producer for a short film titled 'MINK!'. The film, directed by Academy Award-winning director Ben Proudfoot, encapsulates the life of Patsy Takemoto Mink, a Japanese-American who became the first woman of color to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
The Hawaiian Democrat also famously co-authored the groundbreaking Title IX legislation that prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex in schools that received federal funding.
Osaka took to social media to encourage her fans to watch the movie, which is also under consideration for the Academy awards.
"If you have 20 minutes to spare, I encourage you to check out MINK! I produced this short film about Patsy Mink who was the first congresswoman of color and champion of Title IX. I hope you find it as informative as I did!," she posted.
She also recently held a screening of the movie in New York, along with the promotion of her children's book, The Way Champs Play.
MINK! is produced under the former Grand Slam champion's entertainment company, Hana Kuma, in partnership with SpringHill, a company co-founded by basketball icon LeBron James.
Naomi Osaka interacts with Academy Award winning director Ben Proudfoot on what drew her to produce a short film on Patsy Mink
A video was recently uploaded of Naomi Osaka in conversation with Academy Award-winning director Ben Proudfoot, discussing their short film MINK!
In the video, Osaka and Proudfoot talk about the impact that the story of Patsy Mink made on their lives and the former World No. 1's love for movies and documentaries that prompted her to start her venture, Hana Kuma.
When Proudfoot asked what initially drew her to the story, she replied that documentaries were one of the best ways to learn about history and that Patsy Mink was an important figure for women athletes.
"My biggest thing is to learn but not feel like Im learning. So what drew me to it was when I was watching the documentary, I felt like a student, which was cool for me. I was experiencing history," she said.
"It was cool for me as an athlete and as a woman to know that there are such incredible people fighting for our rights and doing so well despite so many things against them," she added.
When asked about how Patsy Mink and Title IX opened the door to opportunities for women in sports, she responded:
"I think she has impacted women in sports probably more than she could ever have dreamed of. I think every woman that plays sports should definitely watch it and know what her name is," Osaka said.