0 0 0 ), ▁a ▁Disney ▁film ▁about ▁an ▁und efe ated ▁high ▁school ▁football ▁team ▁cred ited ▁with ▁he aling ▁the ▁ra cial ▁divide ▁in ▁Alexand ria , ▁Virginia , ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 1 . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Gregory ▁Allen ▁Howard ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Nor folk , ▁Virginia , ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 2 , ▁but ▁his ▁family ▁moved ▁around ▁often ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁step father ' s ▁career ▁in ▁the ▁Navy . ▁Between ▁the ▁ages ▁of ▁five ▁and ▁ 1 5 , ▁his ▁family ▁moved ▁ten ▁times , ▁eventually ▁sett ling ▁in ▁Valle jo , ▁California . ▁After ▁att ending ▁college ▁at ▁Pr inc eton ▁University , ▁gradu ating ▁with ▁a ▁degree ▁in ▁American ▁history , ▁Howard ▁briefly ▁worked ▁at ▁M err ill ▁Lyn ch ▁on ▁Wall ▁Street ▁before ▁moving ▁to ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁in ▁his ▁mid - tw ent ies ▁to ▁purs ue ▁a ▁writing ▁career . ▁ ▁Career ▁Over ▁the ▁next ▁few ▁years ▁Howard ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁fre el ance ▁writer ▁and ▁on ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁television ▁shows , ▁including ▁being ▁a ▁story ▁editor ▁for ▁Where ▁I ▁Live ▁and ▁working ▁on ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁short - l ived ▁FO X ▁series ▁True ▁Colors . ▁Howard ▁also ▁wrote ▁a ▁stage ▁play , ▁T ins elt own ▁Tr il ogy , ▁that ▁gar ner ed ▁him ▁awards . ▁ ▁T ins elt own ▁Tr il ogy ▁we aves ▁together ▁three ▁inter connected ▁one - act ▁plays ▁that ▁focus ▁on ▁three ▁men ▁in ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁on ▁Christmas