TRIBUTE TO MUHAMMAD ALI IN WASHINGTON, DC JUNE 4th

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8sq3f8pc3uoj3my/We%20Remember%20%22The%20Greatest%22%20Muhammad%20Ali.m4v?dl=0/

UNVEILED JUNE 6th THE LOUISVILLE MUHAMMAD ALI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Family Historian Keith Winstead with Ali’s wife Lonnie during the celebration of renaming the airport after his cousin Muhammad Ali.

The Tribute to Muhammad Ali on Tuesday, June 4, 2019, marking the 3rd anniversary of his death on June 3rd, 2016 was a smashing success. The Miracle Theatre on Capitol Hill hosted the tribute. A near capacity crowd was in attendance as comedians Sylvia Traymore and Chris Thomas provided the laughs and friends and family shared never before heard up close and personal stories of The Greatest. The Courtland Experience provided the LIVE music (bound for late night television). There were video memories by poet Ty Gray-El “Thank You Muhammad Ali”, former NBA Media Relations VP Brian McIntyre recalled his first time meeting the champion face to face and Glenn Singleton a man Ali designated as his “Best Fan” recalled how he was chosen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_uxe5gvEaM%2F

The laugh machines-MC Comedians Sylvia Traymore and Chris Thomas

“We are Family Clay”-Lyle and Leontyne Peck-Sonny Fishback-Jesse Alexander-Keith Winstead-Glenn Singleton

Keith Winstead is the Family Historian, he traveled from Louisville, Kentucky and Genealogist Leontyne Clay Peck, came from Charlottesville, Virginia. They are Ali’s first cousins. Leontyne summed of the feelings of the family when she said, “It was a wonderful evening we feel so blessed that we were part of this beautiful event. We had a great time!! Also, remember that Ali’s other family surname is Greathouse. Isn’t it interesting that the word Great is even in his name! All praise to The Highest and the ancestors for bringing us together.” Vocalist Dick Smith has been the host of the Westminister Presbyterian Church jazz show for the past two decades. He closed out the evening on the appropriate note with the classic by the legendary vocalist Frank Sinatra, ‘My Way.’ He brought the house down. Long live Ali! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IA3ZvCkRkQ%2F Muhammad Ali this is for you.

Keith, Glenn Singleton, and Ali childhood friend, Sonny Fishback all drove to Louisville the next morning where the city named the airport after The Greatest. Despite this great evening and Ali having the Louisville airport named after him, it makes me wonder why are we in 2019 still blaming others for our problems? Without a doubt, there is racism all around us in all colors shapes and forms. How is it the Jewish, Asian and now the Hispanic community is able to pull together to enhance the growth of their people, but we are still acting like crabs in the barrel?

DC’s Dotie Wade hanging out with the Clay Crew at the Miracle Theatre

Muhammad Ali is looking down and shaking his head as we allow liars, cheats, and pimps in the pulpit to build mega-churches and go to the bank and we go back to the ghetto, to jail or worst. We built this country and the 1% are treating us like immigrants. The frauds in our community are becoming millionaires, having buildings named after them (John Thompson and Cathy Hughes). Blacks in media like Bruce Johnson, Sam Ford, Leon Harris, Winston Martin are jokes. They are the bearers of Fake News or no News when it comes to the black community. Some are passing for white and sometimes black (Rock Newman).

Despite the thick cloud of racism that hangs over this country I am going to continue to live by a phrase that I coined in 1974 to close my radio sports talk show, “Every black face I see is not my brother and every white face I see is not my enemy!” It was a tough lesson to learn but a valuable one.

This brings me to what is the National Association of Black Journalist (NABJ) and what are they good for? Minister Louis Farrakhan called them a bunch of Uncle Toms working in White media at their convention in 2007. It was so quiet in the hall you could have heard a mouse piss on cotton. In DC there are known pedophiles like Armstrong Williams and sex molesters like Rock Newman who have their own weekly television shows.


The faces of television news, a pedephile, a theft, a liar, and a sex molester.
Read all about it! / https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/news/loose-lips/article/21062654/rock-newman-sued-for-reaching-into-a-womans-dress-and-unzipping-it-on-stage

In my 1974 interview with Muhammad Ali, I asked him how he distinquished who his real friends were. In my life’s experience I found my friends to be like my shadow. They are with me as long as I am in the sun but disappear when I cross into the shade. His response, “A friend is someone who is always giving and never expecting anything in return.”

This brings me to my friends who I have given and to those have never given anything, not a toy, book, camp or an education for a child; I gave John Thompson 5 minutes every Monday to promote Georgetown basketball on Inside Sports when he could not win a game. I gave Sugar Ray Leonard an opportunity to regain his self-esteem when he didn’t have two pennies to rub together. I gave and provided James Brown a platform to propel him into a CBS/NFL studio host. I gave Washington Post/ESPN Mike Wilbon a shoulder to cry on when he was an upstart at the Washington Post. I gave NBA Hall of Fame player Dave Bing a hard time on the playgrounds of DC to help prepare him for the NBA, I acted as Cathy Hughes and her son Alfred’s “Big Brother” when they needed one. I gave 20 more years of television news life to the late Jim Vance. I gave NBA Hall of Fame player Adrian Dantley the 411 concerning his agent David Falk. Falk had ciphered several million dollars from his account without his knowledge.

I gave QB Doug Williams a community platform before his MVP performance in the 1988 Super Bowl. When NFL great Jim Brown was given a jail sentence for domestic abuse he didn’t call Ghost Busters to get him out of jail he called Harold Bell. DC basketball playground legend Jo Jo Hunter served 18 years before I helped to get him an early release from his jail cell. I tried to give our Mayor for life the late Marion Barry the 411 that the feds were going to try to set him up. He said, “Harold I have everything covered.” His security man William Stays listening to the conversation rolled his eyes. Several months later ‘The Bitch set him up!’ He has a statue in front of the Wilson Building in downtown DC.

When the NFL blackballed Green Bay Packer great Willie Wood from his rightful place in its Hall of Fame, I provided him with a platform via legendary DC sports writer the late Dick Heller. He was inducted in 1989. When NBA pioneer Earl Lloyd was denied his rightful place in its Hall of Fame, I gave and provided him with a platform via Red Auerbach to be inducted in 2003.

In 2016 I uncovered a scam artist scamming NBA players Kawhi Leonard, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, and former players Dave Bing, Bob Lanier and Oscar Robinson. The scam artist was producing a documentary on the life story of Earl Lloyd titled, “The First to Do It!”

The players and former players were asked to be investors. Sherrie Deans, the then Executive Director of the NBA Players Association told the Hollywood Reporter, “Earl Lloyd’s achievements and the times in which he lived provide important lessons for players and fans today. Our support of this film reflects our commitment to preserving the legacy of our players and our game. And the positive impacts that both have had on our society.” Much like the investors, she didn’t have a clue.

I wrote a letter to NBA Commissioner Adam Silva and Spurs Coach Greg Popovich alerting them of the scam.

I receive a response from Commissioner Silva that read,

May 26, 2017

“Dear Mr. Bell, Thank you for sharing your concerns with me regarding “The First To Do It” the documentary on Earl Lloyd. Preserving and honoring our history is very important to the NBA and during the NBA All-Star Game in February, the NBA Player’s Union hosted Earl Lloyd’s family and other guests for a screening of the film.

Thank you again for taking the time to reach out to me.”

Sincerely,
Adam

“The First To Do It” was never seen or heard from again—it disappeared from the movie screens.

I am not sure that Kawhi Leonard, Chris Paul, or Carmelo Anthony was able to recover their investment. Former Washington Post writer and TNT NBA reporter Dave Aldridge did assist the researcher in Alexandria, Virginia to recover money from the bounced checks the scammer had written to her.

My entire sports media career my format has been on AM radio the lowest signal on the radio dial, but I never allowed that to stunt my growth in the media. I stayed a step ahead of major media by doing my home work. There is not enough space and time to list all of the benefactors of Kids In Trouble and Inside Sports so I will move on, but where is the beef?

When are we in the BLACK COMMUNITY going to say enough is enough?

Why are we still in 2019 blaming others for our problems–without a doubt there is racism all around us in all colors shapes and forms… but why is it the Jewish, Asian and now the Hispanic community can pull together to enhance the growth of their people, but we are still acting like crabs in the barrel?
For example, we allow liars, cheats, and pimps in the pulpit to build Mega Churches and go to the bank and we go back to the ghetto, to jail or worst!

We built this country and the 1% are treating us like immigrants. The frauds in our community are becoming millionaires, buildings are being named after them (John Thompson and Cathy Hughes). Blacks in media like Bruce Johnson, Sam Ford, Leon Harris, Winston Martin are jokes. They are the bearers of Fake News or no News in the black community. When you see them in the community you can bet someone is dead, during his early years the SE community nicknamed Bruce Johnson “Doctor Death”.

Some who are misguilded are passing for white and sometimes black (Rock Newman). What is the National Association of Black Journalist (NABJ) good for? Minister Louis Farrakhan called them a bunch of Uncle Toms working in White media at their convention in their own house in 2007. It was so quiet you could hear a mouse piss on cotton. In DC there are known pedophiles like Armstrong Williams and sex molesters like Rock Newman who have their own weekly television shows!

Newman several months ago sexual abused a female comedian on stage in front of hundreds of witnesses during a charity benefit for my friend the late comedian Dick Gregory. First, he stuffed paper napkins down her bra and unzipped her dress from behind. She is now suing him. The only media to respond to this story was the City Paper! TV 4-5-7 and 9 have taken a commercial break. Courtland Milloy and Colby King of the Washington Post are sitting on their hands waiting for the return of Michelle and Barack before they write anything positive involving the black community. The Informer and Afro-American Newspapers are once a week publications and serve no purpose with “Old News!” Cathy Hughes and Urban One Radio and TV gets its marching orders from Comcast Cable. Who can we turn to?

NFL great Jim Brown, comedian Dick Gregory and yours truly huddle at a tribute to NFL great Willie Wood.

In the meantime, black athletes are being inducted in one hall of fame one after another while being scared to take a knee for their own human and civil rights.

Black cops are members of the FOP (KKK) in the police department around the country and are being brainwashed to believe “It’s us against them.” Remember this is not a job that they were drafted into–they volunteered for it and we pay their salaries. Black politicians are being voted into office while making promises they will never keep and we recycle them every 4 years while our children and black men’s blood flow in our streets like Niagara Falls. When are we in the BLACK COMMUNITY are truly going to say enough is enough and mean it?

WHITE PRIVILEGE is here to stay. For example, the recent incident in the NBA playoff finals where the white NBA owner put his hands on the black player was WHITE PRIVILEGE. When was the last time you checked to see how many blacks own teams in the NBA, NFL, NHL or MLB lately? In the meantime, we can do something about BLACK PRIVILEGE and the frauds who are operating in plain sight in our community. My advice is to use FB for something other than to show your new hair-do, a new car, your vacation cruise, etc. Use it to make a difference in your community, because if you don’t stand for something you will continue to fall for anything. Long live Muhammad Ali.

Dick Smith closes down DC tribute with the classic vocal “My Way.”