A 911 MESSAGE TO BLACK AND WHITE MEN IN AMERICA!

McCAIN AND OBAMA MOVE OVER: LEE IACOCCA FOR PRESIDENT!
By Harold Bell

Remember, Lee Iacocca, the man who rescued Chrysler Corporation from its death throes? He has a new book titled, “Where Have All the Leaders Gone?”

Lee, how about jail? Lee Iacocca, sounds like my echo. Its just like he is preaching to the choir, here are some excerpts from his book.

'Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Lee, I often ask myself the same question, “Am I the only guy in the black community who’s fed up with what’s happening?” Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can’t even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, 'Stay the course'

Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned 'Titanic'.

I'll give you a sound bite: 'Throw all the bums out!'You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore.

The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq, the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving 'pom-poms' instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of the 'America' my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for (we had different modes of transportation. I've had enough. How about you?I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have. The Biggest 'C' is Crisis!Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down.

On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes. A Hell of a Mess. So here's where we stand. We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving. We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country. We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia, while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs. Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are in trouble. Our borders are like sieves. The middle class is being squeezed every which way.

These are times that cry out for leadership. But when you look around, you've got to ask: Where have all the leaders gone?' Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point.

Lee, lets keep it real, they are being called “Troublemakers and Agitators.”

Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo? We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.
Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane, or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm.

Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you're going to do the next time.

Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when 'The Big Three' referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it?

Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debit, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.

I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity.

What is everybody so afraid of? That some bonehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break!

No Lee, black folks are scared they will be kicked off the Corporate Boards, lose their cushy jobs at the networks or be exiled from the “In Crowd.”

Why don't you guys show some spine for a change?

Had Enough?

Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope I believe in America. In my lifetime I've had the privilege of living through some of America's greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises: The 'Great Depression', 'World War II', the 'Korean War', the 'Kennedy Assassination', ‘Dr. King’s Assassination’, the 'Vietnam War', the 1970s oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11. If I've learned one thing, it's this: 'You don't get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge I'm raising in this book. It's a call to 'Action' for people who, like me, believe in America. It's not too late, but it's getting pretty close. So let's shake off the crap and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had 'enough.'

Lee, with Pimps in the Pulpit and crooks and sex deviants holding public office, it sounds like good advice to me! This book should be required reading in our community. We have a tendency to listen to white folks! Some of us really think your ice is colder.

DR. KING A DREAM MAKER 1963 / BARACK OBAMA A DREAMER 2008

Dr. King delivers his 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech

On Thursday August 28, 2008 in Denver, Colorado Barack Obama before 85,000+ and millions more watching by television throughout America accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination to run for the President of the United States of America. The nomination makes him the first black man ever nominated to lead a major party in its bid for the White House.

There are times in our life where certain events take place and you remember exactly where you were and what you were doing. Forty-five years ago on August 28, 1963 I was headed to downtown Washington, DC with several of my college friends from Winston-Salem State University. Barney Hood my roommate and teammate from Decatur, III wanted to be here for the March on Washington so bad he convinced a friend to put an airline ticket on her credit card. New York City and Winston-Salem basketball legends, Jack Defares and Carl Green drove in from the “Big Apple.”

We all met at Ben’s Chilli Bowl on U Street NW (recently celebrated 50 years in business). We then walked to the famous Florida Ave. Grill another DC eatery landmark for breakfast. It seemed like everyone had the same idea, when we arrived every seat was taken. I had an inside connection, a waitress by the name of Mae. If you wanted to be seated in a booth you had to wait your turn in line but if you sat at the counter you could be seated right away as seats became available. Today I needed a booth because I was traveling with out of town guest. Despite the long wait the home fried apples and potatoes, grits, bacon, eggs and hotcakes made everyone forget the long wait. I did not hear one complaint. It was a beautiful Saturday morning without the hot and humid weather known to the Washington community in August.

We decided to start our participation in the March by walking from the Florida Ave Grill to the mall (approximately 5 miles). We had a great time lying and signifying all the way to the Reflecting Pool on the mall. I don’t think any of us realized the significance of the March until years later, I know I didn’t. I had no clue I was just happy being with my boys.

I now look back and picture the thousands of people gathered here, back then you would have had a hard time trying to convince me there were not a Million marchers in DC that day. The official count was 250 thousand (a quarter of a million) had advanced on the mall to hear Dr. King’s now famous speech “I Have a Dream.”

Forty-five years later the benefactors of “I Have a Dream” are now on Fortune 500 Corporate Boards, Bank Presidents, Mayors, Governors, Coaches, Managers and General Mangers of sports franchises throughout the sporting world. There are too many who think they got there by themselves.

My DC family roots go back to 1893. I grew up in a housing project in NE Washington, DC. My mother was on welfare raising three boys alone, a fourth brother was being raised by my grandmother. In 1963 I was still trying to avoid going to hell in a hurry as my Brown Middle School Principal William B. Stinson had said. He predicted to my mother I would not live to get out of high school. I am glad I fooled him.

I am a benefactor of the March on Washington and Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Today Thursday August 28, 2008 I have not only lived to get out of high school but through my non-profit organization Kids In Trouble, Inc. my wife Hattie and I have helped hundreds of others get out of high school and beyond. My innovated programs aimed at troubled children here in the DC metropolitan area and sports talk pioneering efforts in radio and television are now common place. They have been adopted in communities all over America. Annual community organized Christmas toy parties for needy children and the phrase “Inside Sports” were started and coined here in Washington, DC.

I never dreamed the March on Washington and Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech would one day find me interviewing some of the greatest athletes and sports personalities in the World. Personalities such as, Muhammad Ali, Red Auerbach, Hank Aaron, Jim Brown, Wilt Chamberlain, Dr. J, Angelo Dundee, Gale Sayers, George Foreman, etc. have all been guest on Inside Sports

The March and Dr. King’s Dream has also allowed me to break bread and have the ear of some of the most powerful politicians in America, men like President Richard M. Nixon, Strom Thurmond (R-S. C.), Bob Dole (R-Kan), Lou Stokes (D-Ohio), etc. my Middle School Principal would never have dreamed it. In November of this year Hattie and I will celebrate 40 years of marriage and in December we will celebrate 40 years of hosting and coordinating Christmas toy parties for needy children. Dreams do come true.

The three former Winston-Salem State University students who joined me for the march made their own impact. The late Barney Hood would go on to become a teacher and businessman in his hometown of Decatur, III, Jack Defares would become a teacher in the New Jersey school system and Carl Green found fame as a star player on the World famous Harlem Globetrotters. Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech looked like it touched and influenced all four of us.

My Spingarn high school teammate Andrew Johnson remembers that day, the March and the speech all too well. He had a front row seat on the Reflecting Pool. He was a working DC Metropolitan Policeman assigned to the march (that is Officer Johnson looking up and standing directly under the left hand of Dr. King). My friends and I were located in the crowd somewhere near the middle of the Reflecting Pool. Andrew says “It was one of the most amazing demonstrations I have ever seen. People were all over the place some literally on top of each other. The march was so peaceful the DC Police Department could have taken the day off. The march ended that evening and 250,000 people left town as quietly as they had come in.

In the troubled Shaw/Cardozo area of Washington, DC Andrew and I would later join forces to fight juvenile delinquency. My job as a Roving Leader (Gang Buster) for the DC Recreation Department and his as a foot patrolman would make this reunion possible. Officer Johnson would later be promoted to the rank of detective. His law-enforcement career would end as a "Top Cop" for the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). With the DEA He made it to the rank of supervisor before retiring in 1995. Today he can be found tutoring inner-city children and serving as an active member of the Board of Directors of Kids In Trouble, Inc. Forty-five years after the March on Washington and Dr. King's "I Have Dream" speech, Andrew Johnson is still trying to make a difference.

We never thought in our life time we would see a black man make a serious run for the White House. The Presidential bids by Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton were never taken seriously by black folks or white folks. They both had hidden agendas. In 2008 they were quietly reduced to spectators and cheerleaders like the rest of us.

We are hoping that the August 28, 2008 nomination of Barack Obama will inspire another generation of minorities to be all that they can be like Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech inspired us on August 28, 1963. Barack Obama is living proof that dreams can come true.

TENNIS: A GAME OF LOVE!

U. S. OPEN TENNIS TOURNAMENT

BERNIE CHAVIS SHOWING LOVE-LOVE & LOVE

On September 3, 2008 a former hoop star turned amateur tennis player Bernie Chavis will make history as an author on the hollow grounds of the U. S. Tennis Open. Bernie is a native Washingtonian who now lives in the suburb of Meadowbrook, Pa. He will showcase and autograph his new book titled “The Games of Tennis-An African American Journey (Breaking Racial Cultural Barriers in Tennis and---Society).”

His journey is far from his roots as an outstanding all-around athlete in the DC Public schools of Washington, DC. Bernie was All-Met in football and basketball at Eastern High School. He parlayed his athletic skills into a basketball scholarship to Villanova University in Philadelphia. The city of brotherly love has been home ever since.

His remarkable journey into the elitist World of tennis takes a hard an objective view of the not too friendly love affair between blacks and whites. Despite the groundbreaking efforts of tennis greats Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe in the 50’s and 60’s “LOVE” has nothing to do with it.

Unlike most outstanding athletes who are born with that competitive spirit Bernie knew when to quit. When he discovered he could no longer run and jump with the young boys on the talented rich basketball courts of Philadelphia he walked away. His next court would be a tennis court. It was there he could apply the same techniques that made him an outstanding basketball player to play at the highest level capable—foot work and hand and eye coordination. He fell head over heels in love with the game. The most enjoyable aspect of his new World, he could compete and play with men his own age. Once on the tennis scene he discovered the many doors that were closed to people of color on the other side of the net.

Bernie remembered growing up in a segregated Washington, DC (the Nation’s Capitol). He never forgot the second class citizenship experiences of his hometown. He says, “One of my first recollections highlighting the impact racism concerned the Howard Theater, the most popular movie and entertainment center in Washington’s black community.”

He had a difficult time trying to figure out why was it that white folks could flock to one of the busiest sections of the black community and have an All-Access Pass but he was forbidden from entering any of “their” establishments anywhere in the city.

Bernie’s childhood friend and my high school teammate, Spotswood Bolling, Jr. was a part of a landmark decision handed down by the U. S. Supreme Court in 1954. He was a part of the Brown vs Board of Education decision. The decision was Bolling vs Sharpe and ruled upon on the same day by the same Supreme Court.

There were two different decisions made because Brown vs Board of Education was national and Bolling vs Sharpe was to insure desegregation locally. DC then as now had no Congressional Representation it is still called “the plantation on the Potomac.”

In the early1980s shortly after turning to tennis as an alternate athletic outlet, Bernie discovered “The more things changed the more they remained the same.” While playing tennis at the Garden Fair Tennis Club located near his home he developed a personal friendship with the manager of the facility, Bob Fossler. One day Mr. Fossler indicated to Bernie that all the tennis boards he was involved had begun to seriously discuss the need to diversify the composition of their organizations and to engage people of color. Remember this is almost 40 years after Jackie Robinson and Athea Gibson made their professional debuts.

He then invited Bernie to be a member of one of those boards. Upon his recommendation Bernie submitted his application and was accepted. His membership placed him on the Board of the United States Tennis Association Middle States Philadelphia Area Tennis District. Thus began his roller coaster ride inside the sport of tennis’s dark and blind side.

Bernie joining the USTA was just appetizer, he has served as National President of the American Tennis Association (ATA), the oldest African American sports organization in America. President of the U. S. Professional Tennis Registry (PTR) in the Middles States Section. He would later be named the first black to serve as President of the USTA Philadelphia Area Tennis District (1994) and the first to referee a USTA national championship tournament, the Men’s Senior Grass Court Championships at the Germantown Cricket club in Philadelphia. In 2005 he was named a “Living American History Maker” by the Berean Institute of Philadelphia. Like Frank Sinatra, Bernie has taken the blows and did his way.

I would love to be a book on the shelf to witness and capture the re-actions of friends and foe during the signing. The more interesting moments will be to see if any of today’s black tennis stars and future black stars show up to support his courageous effort to make their paths easier. Richard Williams the father of tennis stars Venus and Serena will be the first in line and I am betting his daughters won’t be far behind. On the other hand James Blake the bridesmaid of the men’s tour will distant himself until he sees the William sisters purchase their first book. His advisors will caution him to keep his distant.

The Games of Tennis-An African American Journey is a must read for every person of color who thinks that they have arrived and that includes parents, teachers, coaches and all advocates of children who claim they are making children first.

The book reflects the thinking of America and how it really feels about people of color. During Bernie’s journey he discovered that every black face he saw was not his brother and every white face was not the enemy. He has never forgotten that it was all white men who made the decision of Brown vs Board of Education and Bolling vs Sharpe. Their decision was based on Love-Love and Love.

Books available at http:/www.barnesandnoble.com/ http://www.amazon.com/ http://www.borders.com/ /

ART MONK: NICE GUYS DON'T FINISH LAST!

Art Monk’s induction into the NFL Hall of Fame was a long time coming. He is one of the best reasons why the players and coaches should decide who is worthy of entry.

Monk played 16 years in the NFL and should have entered the hall on his first year of eligibility. He was denied entry for 13 years because there were many in the sports media (writers, columnist and editors) who didn’t like his attitude when it came to the sporting press. He learned early in his career the members of the media could not be trusted. They ran hot and cold, especially those in the Nation’s Capitol, home of the Washington Redskins.

He never thought he was obligated to give and interview and answer their stupid questions like “what were you thinking when you dropped that ball for a touchdown” or the classic question asked of QB Doug Williams by a reporter at the 1988 Super Bowl, “What does it feel like being a black QB playing in the Super Bowl?” Monk never played their game during his entire NFL career. He knew 90% of the writers surrounding his locker after each practice and each game never played the game. Many would not know the difference between a post pass pattern and the Washington Post newspaper.

One major league baseball manager was heard to say “The qualifications to be a sports writer in America all you need is a driver’s license.” Art Monk could not have agreed more.

During his acceptance speech I think the most provocative statement he made was when he said, I was fine with the waiting game you guys were playing. I am honored to finally be inducted into this sacred fraternity, but football does not define who I am.”

What was Art Monk on a football field? On Sunday afternoons in football stadiums around the country he was Mr. Consistent, Mr. Clutch and Mr. Dependable. Monk was drafted in the first round (18th pick overall) of the NFL draft by the Washington Redskins in 1980 out of Syracuse University. He was a running back at Syracuse but the Redskins immediately made him a wide receiver. They have had a lot of success in turning running backs into great wide receivers. Running backs like Bobby Mitchell and the greatest wide receiver in Redskin history, Charlie Taylor. Taylor was an electrifying runner after the catch, he could entertain and thrill you with a short catch over the middle or a long catch down either sideline. He was also a devastating downfield blocker. In my opinion Art Monk is second only to Taylor on the All-Time great wide receivers who played for the burgundy and gold.

Roland ‘Bubba’ Grimes and Bryce Bevill are DC homegrown and Syracuse alumni. They are the co-authors of a new book titled “TOTAL FOCUS of Character, Academy, Discipline, and Faith.” Grimes says, “I remember the day the skins drafted Monk after trading away 12 years’ worth of first round picks under Coach George Allen. None of us had heard of the guy but from day one he was an absolute stub on the football field and many of us tried to learn his game and follow his work effort.



Art Monk befuddles the sports media with his discipline and focus. Not only has he excelled in football but he also is just as accomplished in his walk with Christ and leadership in his own home. These are very difficult domains to balance in the NFL with all the travel and temptation at every NFL stop. However, I think the guy’s life is truly just beginning now that he can invest more time into his family, community and his role as a trustee at our alma mater, Syracuse University. Now is the time that he can be outspoken and advocate on any stage for anything that tugs at his heart.”

Art Monk’s 14 year career with he Washington Redskins was a highlight reel of consistency. He once set an NFL record with a catch in 164 straight games. When it was 3rd down and five yards or longer we all knew who the quarterback would be looking for. He wore number 81 Art Monk. He was a quarterback’s best friend and cornerback’s worst enemy. He was a nightmare to most cornerbacks who seldom stood taller then 6 foot and over 180 pounds. Monk was 6’3 and 210 pounds. To see him running in your direction was double jeopardy. The cornerback was left thinking “Is he coming to knock my head off or to catch a pass?” Advantage the wide receiver. I will take a great wide receiver over a great cornerback on any given Sunday. The wide receiver knows where he is going and the cornerback has to guess. The cornerback on an NFL team is usually the team’s best athlete. The cornerback position is the most difficult on the field. Congratulations to Darrell Green on his induction. His NFL 20 year odyssey and tenure was unbelievable.

When Art Monk retired after the 1995 season he held the career record for receptions (940). He was a three time Pro Bowl selection and a first team All-Pro in 1984. Monk played on three Super Bowl Championship teams. In 1984 he set an NFL record with 106 receptions in a season. He was named to the All-Decade Team for the 1980s. Where is the media beef?

He was never a controversial personality in the locker room or in the community. There were never any whispers about drugs and he was never seen chasing skirts all over DC like many of his teammates. The one thing that I admired about Art Monk, even though he was surrounded by flawed teammates who where pretending to be Christians, he never allowed their behavior to interrupt his walk with God. Dexter Manley is his friend and not his leader.

Unlike most of the players you would usually see gathering at midfield to pray after the conclusion of a hard fought game, he was serious about God and his place in his life. He was a model citizen. Art Monk was a great catch for the NFL Hall of Fame.

HONOR BLACK WOMEN? NOT ON MY WATCH!

Radio One's son and mother team carrying shareholders to the bank---their bank!

by Harold Bell

Read this with caution, if the shoe fits---wear it. I hate to rain on other people’s parade, but this was one parade I found too good to pass up. Yes I think black women should be honored, my grandmother and my mother, but not today’s black woman. Black America is in shambles today because of a majority of black women have left black men hanging out to dry. Most of their meteoric success has come at the expense of her man.
Affirmative action was more beneficial to white and black women then to black men. Instead of black women becoming “The spook who sit by the door,” they became the spook who blocked the door.

The system discovered through affirmative action they could hire white and black women and fill their minority vacancies and meet their government quotas. Therefore, the black man became the invisible man.

The powers-to-be has long seen the black man as a threat to its empire. Their main concern was that integration brought black men too close to their white women. Today’s board rooms and corporate offices are running over with black women who for some reason think they are on there on merit and some are, but too many are there at the expense of black men.
There are over a one million black men incarcerated in American jails. This is by no means a coincident. Our black male children’s blood is flowing in our streets in urban settings throughout the country. But black women are nowhere to be found.

On Sunday June29, 2008 a 19 year old black male child was murdered in his jail cell in a Prince George’s Maryland correction facility. Ronnie White was accused of killing a Prince George’s County Policeman. This vigilante act in 2008 denied him his day in court as required by the Constitutional and Civil Rights act of 1964. Where are the black women standing up for their men and male children. Have you suddenly forgotten that during slavery the corporate office and boardroom was The Master’s kitchen and bedroom? Your 21st century actions speak for themselves---your voices have become silent and mute when it comes to standing up for your man.

Ronnie White was murdered in his jail cell a month ago. The State Police and FBI have a captivated audience of nine suspects who had access to White and still no arrest! I started a forum days after his death and not one black woman has cried out in the forum, but you think you should be honored?

You were once the backbone of the black community. Have you forgotten the sacrifices made by Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Mary McLeod Bethune, Angela Davis, Athelia Gibson, Rosa Parks, Betty Shabazz, Coretta Scott King, Jackie Joiner Kersey, Rachel Robinson, Barbra Jordan Shirley Chisholm, C. Delores Tucker, Winnie Mandella, Rachel Kennedy, Madam C. J. Walker, Isabel Sanford and Amy Tyler Bell. I remember them or recall their stories of how they stood for something and just didn’t fall for anything.

What have you done to be honored except ride in on the coattails and accomplishments of the real heroes who opened the doors for you?
In black America today, the black man has literally been kicked to the curb by white America and their “Spooks that sit by the door.”

There is a joke going around on the internet about the KKK holding their last and final meeting of this century. The Grand Dragon explains to those that are gathered on why he is turning in his robe and hood for jeans and a T shirt. He says, “There is no need for our services any more, black folks are killing each other at a record rate and black women and preachers are selling out the black community like there is no tomorrow.” This joke is closer to the truth then we care to think.

In the Nation’s Capitol for example; there is Radio and TV One and there sits the Queen of media fraud, Cathy Hughes. The Washington Post who helped put her in a position of power to steal her stockholders blind wrote two front page stories on her in the Business section of the paper on the same day (Friday March 9, 2008). She almost had the entire front page to herself. The story was titled “Losses and Static For Radio One” it starts out with a bang, it reads, “Urban broadcasting Radio One yesterday said it lost $18.3 million in the first three months of the year.
The loss, which came to 19 cent a share, compared to a profit of $744, 000 for the similar period a year earlier. The Lanham company struggles have led it in recent months to sell stations in markets around the country, change programming, and invest in internet offerings.

Still its stock has fallen below $1 to its lowest levels since Radio One went public nine years ago. Shares closed at 86 cents yesterday (May 9th). Cathy’s son Alfred C. Liggins III, the company’s chief executive said, ‘our stocks have been crushed.’ In a conference call with investors he acknowledged ‘since my family is the largest shareholder, when the stock is below $1, it is very painful.’

Let me tell you how much pain Cathy and her baby boy Alfred are in. In the second story columnist Steven Pearlstein writes, “This is also the story of a management team and a tight knit board of directors who have overreached in their strategy, underperformed in executing it and sometimes put their own interests ahead of those of their shareholders.

It gets worst because of accounting errors Radio One is under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission for backdating stock options. They restated several years of earnings. Despite these obvious thievery and fraudulent acts DC Mayor Adrian Fenty is planning on renting Radio One space in downtown Washington for $1 a year. Birds of a feather flock together!

The most egregious example of their greed is the new compensation package they have provided for themselves while the company sinks like the Titanic. Alfred for turning in the worst financial performance in company history will receive $1 million for having been underpaid for the past three years as well as a 70% raise that will bring his salary to $980, 000 and the opportunity to match that in a $980,000 potential bonus. His mother who is Chairman of the Board and has no clear defined executive responsibilities according to the Washington Post will receive an annual base salary of $750, 000 a year, along with a potential bonus of $650, 000. That compares with a 2007 salary and bonus of $250,000. How painful is that?

The shareholders are being carried to the cleaners in a shopping cart. They have seen their stock fall by 95%. In 2004 a share of Radio One’s stock was worth $27. 00 today that same stock is worth 86 cents. What makes Cathy Hughes any different from what Enron and CEO Kenneth Lay did to its stockholders?

The black female charade continues with Cora Masters Barry the former wife of former Mayor Marion Barry is a convicted felon. In 1988 she was known as Cora Wilds and was Chairman of the DC Boxing Commission. She pleaded guilty to federal charges related to double dipping and stealing money from the commission. Her atrocities as chairwoman are well chronicled (Washington Post and City Paper July 2008.) In 2008 she has re-invented herself at the expense of our children. She has found a way to keep her groove and hustle on. She is the founder of the SE Tennis Center a non-profit organization for inner-city children. The center is run by the Mayor Fenty and the DC Parks and Recreation Department. Birds of a feather flock together.

Ms. Barry is frequently seen in the company of Orcena Williams the mother of the dynamic duo of pro tennis, sisters Venus and Serena. During her tenure as Commissioner she was the subject of many of my commentaries heard on my sports talk radio show Inside Sports. The late Dr. ArnoldMcKnight was my former college teammate and roommate. He was the Director of the SE Tennis Center. He confided in me “Once a thief always a thief.”

Time and space will not permit me to name the rest of my catalog of today’s black women who have sold black men out, but they would include, DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, and Bill Clinton White House and Coca-Cola flunky, Alexis Herman. The banking industry is overrun with black women who have us sold out led by Barbra Goliday at Wachovia in Virginia. In media black women have been selling us out for so long most networks and newspapers have a for sale sign posted at the entrance of their buildings. These are just a few of the names that come to my mind.

Black women should first honor their children, their men and then themselves. Black men already have enough problems we don’t need any more help, especially from black women.

MS. FRANCES MURPHY: THE FIRST LADY OF BLACK MEDIA!

IN APPRECIATION


Mrs. Frances Murphy was the patriarch of the Afro-American newspaper. She was a sister, mother, grandmother, aunt, cousin, friend and guardian of the black community. Mrs. Murphy was a giant in media and in our community. The Afro-American newspaper is one of the oldest Black newspapers in America.

She gave me my first opportunity to hone my skills as a writer when she allowed me to write commentaries and columns in the Afro in the 70s.

It all started when I gave Ms. Murphy one of my commentaries at a community meeting we were both attending in DC. I had written the commentary for my sports talk show Inside Sports, never thinking I would see it in the newspaper. Two weeks later there it was in the Editorial section of the Afro along with the typos and bad grammar all corrected.

The published commentary inspired me to continue to improve my writing skills. This was long before my commentaries and columns appeared in the Washington Post and other print media outlets around the country. She gave her approval for me to continue to write and reveal the darker sides and controversial sides of sports that included stories on Georgetown basketball coach John Thompson and boxing icons Sugar Ray Leonard and Don King, all heroes in the black community. The only time these stories were hear or read in the media was on “Inside Sports.”

These were stories the Washington Post would dare not touch until the Afro published them first. The Washington Post followed Inside Sports and the Afro’s lead when it came to reminding the black politician and athlete who he was and exactly where he came from. Two months after my commentary on “John Thompson Up Close & Personal,” the Washington Post published the first of a two part series on the basketball icon with the second part of the series never appearing in print. This was surely a cover-up.

Mrs. Murphy and I would see each other in the community and we would pass each other like ships in the night. We would always speak and move on. In 1980 I would see Mrs. Murphy at Face’s Restaurant on Georgia Ave. NW. having lunch. Face’s Restaurant was then a popular hang out of the movers and shakers in the black community. I stopped by her table as I was leaving to thank her for her support. She looked up at me and said, “Hi Mr. Bell, congratulations on being named Washingtonian of the Year, what a nice honor. I like what you are doing with our young people keep up the good work.” In 1980 I was the first sports media personality ever named Washingtonian of the Year by Washingtonian Magazine. I was honored again by Mrs. Murphy’s kind and thoughtful words.

In February 2007 I was honored by Tom Joiner on his morning show heard in 142 markets throughout the country and I was the featured story on Americablackweb.com during Black History Month. The story was titled “Living Black History: Broadcasting Icon Harold Bell the Visionary Behind Inside Sports.”

On November 15, 2007 I was involved in one of the breaking stories on the 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm news on NBC TV4. The story was “Good Samaritan Rescues Child From Subway Tracks.” On November 26, 2007 again I was cited by Tom Joiner on his morning radio show and again I was the featured story on the Americanblackweb.com. The story was titled “DC Broadcast Pioneer Lauded For Rescuing Girl Who Fell Onto Subway Tracks.”

I pay tribute and say thanks to Ms. Frances Murphy “Three Times A Lady” for honoring and helping me to become all that I could be in the community and in sports media. She allowed me to take stands and make statements that others in print media dared not.

Ms. Murphy proved that no man is an Island and we all need a helping hand in this “Game Called Life,” her hand had no boundaries in the black community.

ESPN: THERE WOULD BE NO BLACK MAGIC WITHOUT WHITE MAGIC!

Black Magic forgot Curley Neal and Red Auerbach





ESPN’s airing of “Black Magic” chronicling the rich history of black basketball in America was a buzzer beating jump shot to win and a controversial foul call at the end the game to lose. It was also the most watched documentary in the history of ESPN television. The first segment aired in 1.2 million homes beating the old record of 1.1 million. The four hour two-part television show carried black basketball from the playgrounds, high schools, colleges and on to its final destination---the NBA. This brought full circle the hopes and dreams of most black athletes, a life in the fast lane of professional sports. For some it was their only way out.



The show’s title, “Black Magic” was the footprints in the sand of the man who revolutionized offensive guard play in basketball---Earl Monroe. He is also a part-time magician (he made a lot of people and facts disappear in Black Magic). Never the less, I found the show to be enlightening and educational even though I lived most of it. I was a student/athlete and played football and basketball for the legendary Clarence “Bighouse” Gaines at Winston-Salem State. During my era (59-63) I was the only athlete under 6’5 he permitted to play two sports. Tim Autry and Emit Gil my football teammates could not chew bubble gum and dribble at the same time but they were tall. He called Tim and Emit “My Special Effects.”

My freshman year I scored 27 points in a losing effort in the annual Alumni vs. Varsity basketball game. My friend and mentor the legendary Jack DeFares had returned to Winston-Salem to finish work on his degree. He lobbied for me to play for the shorthanded alumni. It was easy to see why Jack was a New York playground legend and an All-Time great at Winston-Salem. He simply said, “Keep your eyes on me and follow my lead.” His slick ball handling and moves to the basket was responsible for me leading both teams in scoring. Bighouse knew I could do two things well, catch a football and score on a basketball court. But he made it clear that he had only one basketball and it belonged to Cleo Hill. Like it or not I had to wait my turn. I satisfied my hunger for the game by playing at the local YMCA and on the Inter-Mural team.

I was in a unique position at Winston-Salem State I was there to compare three of the greatest players to ever play for “Bighouse,” Jack DeFares, Cleo Hill and Earl Monroe up close and personal. I was there for the return of Jack DeFares, I was there for the departure of Cleo Hill and I was there to witness the arrival of Black Jesus better known as Earl “The Pearl” Monroe among other names.

Hopefully, Mike Wise of the Washington Post was watching ESPN and received an education on who was the first and last word when it came to “The Improviser” of guard play in the NBA.
Mike Wise and his colleagues at the Washington Post are the best examples on why we need to celebrate Black History 365 days of the year if we don’t our youth would believe that “Pistol Pete” Maravich revolutionize guard play in the NBA. He wrote those exact words in his column during the NBA All-Star Weekend last month. Pete was a great player in his own right but he was no Pearl. Black Americans must be careful of what we read and who we read. Don't hold your breath looking for Mike’s column saying, “I made a mistake.”

I was there also to encourage the late great legendary Red Auerbach to step in support Earl Lloyd’s induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame. The NBA had overlooked his career. Thanks to Red the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame finally inducted him in 2002 as a contributor. He was the first black to play in the NBA. The CIAA barely beat the NBA. Fifty years after graduating from West Virginia State they finally pulled his number for induction into the CIAA Hall of Fame in 2000.

Black Magic participants Al Attles and Earl Lloyd were two dear friends and inspired me to be all that I could be. I was in Landover, Maryland when Al and the Golden State Warriors upset and beat another close and dear friend K. C. Jones. The Warriors beat the Washington Bullets in four straight games to win the NBA Championship. Al and K. C. made pro sports history by becoming the first two Black Americans to face-off in a championship final.

The enlightening stories for me, started with Perry Wallace, Athletic Director at American University and the first black to play at Vanderbilt University, the perseverance of NBA player Bob “Butter Bean” Love and without a doubt the hidden story that Ben Jobes was one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all time. Coach Jobes’ accomplishments and basketball success stayed under the radar of major media for decades. ESPN’s Black Magic made it perfectly clear he could have easily been a success on any level, but was denied recognition because he was black.

The real story of the NBA lynching of Cleo Hill by the St. Louis Hawks was long overdue. In Black Magic there was mention of Cleo being the greatest player of his era. He could have been the greatest player of any area where he was allowed to play.

Cleo had every shot imaginable. He is the greatest offensive basketball player I have ever seen with the exception of Washington, DC’s Elgin Baylor. He was “Michael Jordan” in North Carolina long before Michael Jordan. Jordan didn’t really blossom into a great offensive ball player until the pros. Cleo was a basketball icon and legend on Tobacco Road long before his pro career. To believe it you had to be there to see him. When Cleo played you would have thought the ACC Tournament was being held on the campus of Winston-Salem State. White folks traveled from all over the state to see him play. Cleo Hill was worth the travel time and price of admission. There were times when our own students could not get into the games. There was nothing Cleo could not do on a basketball court. His offensive arsenal consisted of left and right hand hook shots, set shots, a jump shot from any and everywhere, a great rebounder when he needed to be, he was fearless driving to the basket and he was a 80% foul shooter. Cleo could dribble the ball up court to break the press and dribble out the clock. He was no slough on defense either, when “Bighouse” needed someone to stop the other team’s hot shooter, he looked no further than Cleo or teammate Tommy Monterio.

Cleo was drafted No. 1 by the St. Louis Hawks in 1961 and everything was uphill from there. When he arrived in St. Louis the KKK better known as The Nest was waiting for him. The Nest consisted of players Bob Pettit, Cliff Hagan and Clyde Lovellet. They did everything but string him up by his neck. When Coach Paul Seymour took a stand against The Nest the owner Ben Kerner fired him. When Cleo returned to campus to finish up his classes to graduate after his rookie year he was a beaten man. He would come around to our room and sit and talk with Barney and me for hours about life with the St. Louis Hawks. His story was something out of the 1800’s. In 2008 little has changed black men are still having their ideas and goods stolen and are asked to go in the backdoor and side doors to re-claim them. Spooks are still sitting by the door (CBS' James Brown, BET's Bob Johnson, etc), opening it for some and closing it for others.
When we start to talk about the injustices of the sports establishment you have to look no further than Coach John McLendon.

White coaches led by the legendary Dean Smith stole his ideas and made them their own. The basketball establishment led by the white media had fans believing for years that Coach Smith invented “The Four Corners.” A strategy devised by Coach Mac to take time off of the clock in the closing moments of a game while sitting on a lead.

How can you vote one of the greatest innovators of the game into the hall of fame as a contributor? Check the records and see if Adolph Rupp and Dean Smith have Contributor before or after their names. In all fairness if Coach Mac is a Contributor than every coach who followed James Nasmith into the hall of fame is also a Contributor. The word “Contributor” needs to be changed, as it relates to Coach Mac and Earl Lloyd. If history is the judge “Brothers and Sisters” in media will see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil and write no evil.

Johnny McLendon was definitely “An Officer and a Gentleman” he was in a class by himself when it came to having a compassion for helping others. Johnny Mac was a pleasure to be around. He is one of the best examples on how one can be a class-act and black folks will Player Hate on you anyway. Barney Hood and I would often talk about Coach Mac and how he would always be uplifting when talking about his friends and former players. Fairness is a lesson that never seemed to have rubbed off on some of his colleagues.

The man many of us called “Big Daddy” when others called him Bighouse would some times forget we were watching him. He could be very selfish and self serving. Bighouse had a big heart but he could also be heartless. He went ballistic when his friend and colleague Coach Tom “Tricky” Harris of Virginia Union hired a white coach, Dave Robbins (in-focus). Coach Gaines and Harris were poker pals and shared a lot of basketball history. When his buddy hired a white coach he felt betrayed. Bighouse slowly burned when CIAA Commissioner Leon Kerry (out of focus) and his cohorts hijacked the conference right before his eyes. Some of the things he said about his colleagues and student/athletes made many us wonder whether he really liked himself. None of us escaped his wrath including me, Cleo and Black Jesus.

In many ways we have taken on the characteristics of the establishment. When it comes to fairness it is becoming a lost art in the black community. We have also become more exclusive instead of inclusive. Black Magic for example; How were the contributions of icons Sam Jones (It is rumored he wanted to get paid), Spencer Haywood, Curly Neal and last but not least Red Auerbach and Walter Brown of the Boston Celtics overlooked?

Sam Jones is in the NBA Hall of Fame and voted as one of the NBA’s 50 Greatest, he could have easily added more insight. His mentors were two of the greatest coaches of all time, Johnny Mac and Red Auerbach. Without Red’s contributions “Black Magic” would still be out of focus and a dream deferred. Spencer Haywood’s contribution turned the plantation mentality of college basketball andthe NBA into a “Pay Day Heaven” for today’s NBA players.

In a landmark decision Spencer successfully challenged in court and won his case to enter the NBA draft before graduation. He became the first ever NBA Hardship case. Every NBA player making over $5,000 owes him a debt of gratitude. He should be in the NBA Hall of Fame and a member of The 50 Greatest Players ever, for his play on the court and his legal battles in court. He was working in the community long before the NBA CARED and he put the POWER in Power Forward. He is being Black Balled by the NBA for standing up to be a man in America and for his alleged drug use. If drug use is one of the criterias used for his induction, than the hall should be almost vacant. One of the show’s characters, drug dealer Pee Wee Kirkland is a New York Playground basketball legend and former Norfolk State player. I saw some his best customers in “Black Magic.”

Curly Neal is a graduate of Johnson C. Smith University and his name is synonymous with the internationally known Harlem Globetrotters. Curly is known by more basketball fans World wide then Michael Jordan. Johnson C. Smith is one of our oldest black HBUC institutions in Black America. It was founded in 1867 as Biddle Memorial and named Johnson C. Smith in 1923. The Queen City of Charlotte, N. C. is the home of the most famous black college basketball tournament in the country (CIAA), they were also left out of focus in Black Magic!
How could Black Magic forget New York basketball icons Pop Gates, Jack DeFares and Carl Green?

Sound bites we could have done without: Some things are better left unsaid, playground and NBA Broadcast legend Sonny Hill describing former Tennessee State and New York Knicks’ guard Dick Barnett was definitely out of focus. He said “Dick Barnett was a functional illiterate.” Dr. Dick Barnett graduated from Tennessee State and now holds a PHD Degree. Sonny Hill never graduated from college and holds no degrees!!!

ESPN NBA studio analyst and Winston-Salem State alumnus Stephen A. Smith and basketball scrub at Winston-Salem State was blackballed from the show for stepping on “Superman’s Cape.” 'Bighouse' was having trouble winning games at the end of his career (828 wins) and Smith writing for the Philadelphia Inquirer made the mistake of calling for his firing. He has been out of bounds and out of focus ever since. What is my excuse for being out of focus? I am nobody's Yes Man and I walk and march to a different drum beat.