CALLED UP: The Emmett Ashford Story, is a one-hour documentary being produced by the filmmaking team of Raymond Bell and Doug Harris (Five Bellz Entertainment and Doug Harris Media). Bell is an Emmy Award winning producer for CBS Los Angeles with over 30 years of experience in the television industry. Doug Harris is an acclaimed documentary filmmaker who has produced and directed over twenty documentaries dating back to 1999.

The mission of the CALLED UP documentary is to raise public awareness 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 will serve 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.