A World Champ 'n a World Chump

[nattyreb]

A WORLD CHAMP 'N A WORLD CHUMP
by: Del Jones, War Correspondent

Since Jack Johnson use to dust off slow footed and sluggish punching white boys to dominate the heavyweight division, the championship has meant a lot to our people as a source of upliftment against the anti-Afrikan propaganda that belittles us before the world. It meant so much to us we looked the other way on any other short comings the champs had. Just the idea of legally kickin' a white boys ass and getting paid for it made it an extraordinary event. Although, many times a Black versus Black kind of conjured up slave matches that saw whites betting slaver master earnings as two Black men fought to the death, biting, scratching and kickin' to survive the enemy's damn prize fighting.

I came along during the final days of Joe Lewis and I remember how we sat around the radio listening to every blow and how the 'Hood exploded when the "Brown Bomber" won. People flew outta their houses and a street party began because we had won 'cause Joe had won. You had to be around then to understand how little we had to be proud of because the racism, hatred and self hatred was so damn thick. The 50's was one hell of a time, many Negroes were left behind because they couldn't make the transition from Negro to Black, others were left back when they couldn't accept Black Power, still others are spinning in the past as we've moved to reclaim our Afrikan identity. In other words our community is covered with people litter haunting our tomorrows.

We were proud of Jack 'n Joe, while Sonny Liston was to much like the brute that reminded us of yesterday's Black overseers and "slave prize fights." No! Not because he was dark skin, but because he was a Mafia flunky who use to bust up Blacks as a collector of extorted dough for white loan sharks and protection scams on Black folk. Later they would murder him and discard him. Before him came Floyd Patterson who was an introverted quite speaking soft punk who allowed a Swedish white boy by the name of Igamar Johannsen to thoroughly kick his ass and go-rilla the heavyweight crown from off his head. Never mind he later almost beat Johannsen to death taking the crown back, unlike Joe Lewis he was not forgiven for the lost. Floyd use to travel through the hood with a disguise in shame after the infamous defeat.

Liston destroyed Patterson with awesome power that left him splattered all over the ring like a piece of indistinguishable modern art "splattt" on a white canvass. Like his reactionary twin, stupid traitor George Foreman, it was thought he could never be beat. George who was with out question the most hated champion the community ever seen, mainly because he waved that silly little Amerikkkan flag during the '68 Olympics after Tommy Smith and John Carlos raised their Black gloved fists in front of the world. They're courageous act, of course, politically signaled that the shit was on! While his reminded us that Uncle Toms were gonna protect master with their sorry lives. By the way, many had to be snuffed for defending master's domain.

However, it was Muhammad Ali who busted on the scene with a brilliant flash of talent, skill and for a while he even was politically in tuned with the progressive youth of his time. Beating Liston twice, we think, he became the embodiment of the Black youth of the time. Brass, bold, beautiful and making no apologies for being what we were. His battle with the government over being drafted into their military during the Vietnam War is legend. Since I was around let me describe it all to ya. Most of the Negroes still in shock that the apathy of the 50's was over took the position that "that boy is crazy, he ought to go into the military like Joe Louis and work for Special Forces. All he would have to do is some boxing exhibitions and poster boy work Like Joe Louis did and come out and go make his money" they said with twisted reason.

Never mind that individualism was being suppressed and we as a group, a tribe, a village was moving for the collective. Never mind, Amerikkkan imperialism was slaughtering innocent people to keep freedom hostage. And never mind that any work with the Amerikkkan war machine was an endorsement to our youth of the 'Hood, who were dying in record numbers anyway. The Vietnamese were not our enemy, our enemy was the white Supremist military machinery, that was killing throughout Asia and Afrika.

Then, of course, there were the "I went and served my country why can't Cassius Clay or Ali or whatever his name is." This sad group couldn't even understand the Civil Rights Movement much less the Black Power thrust. They advocated that he serve, sit down and shut up. If, in fact, he do what he was told, he would get paid. Sound familiar? Lastly, there was our group of revolutionaries of all ages and the youth who were proud of his stance as it exposed the Vietnam hustle Amerikkka was pulling on the whole society. Needless to say, Ali's strength and resolve heightened the contradictions in white society and their children went buck wild in opposition to a war they actually was sleeping. Ali's stance was consistent with the movement of our people to engage the enemy at every turn. He's got to be given credit, he paid the price and supplied the needed upliftment for us to continue the fight.

This made him the most hated Black man in this country, by whites, because he was a symbol of Black rage and defiance. For years he was kept from legally fighting as the system conspired to starve and humiliate him. In the eyes of the world he got bigger and bigger until he had the most recognizable face in the world. It would take years before they wore him down to the reactionary pitiful Amerikkkan he is today. Ya see, Ali was a contradiction, an ugly one, who privately never lived up to the front he put up. I know this hurts but we gotta grow up and look at the historical facts as we kick the crutches from under ourselves and build tomorrows courage with truth.

Outside the ring Ali was a child like womanizing creep. In Jim Brown's autobiography he repeats over and over how Ali wanted to screw everybody’s women. And even though publicly he spoke against the white devils privately he had no problem boning white girls. Even though he spoke of Black pride, he called many Black fighters "ugly Black go-rillas, Black bears etc.

Thus, his claim to be living morally clean and positive was a large lie that the people in the 'Hood picked up on. However, he was the most political Champ we ever had. However, as he got older he began to work with same killing machine he reject as a youth. He became the Ambassador of Goodwill traveling globally on behalf of Amerikkkan foreign policy.

Now, whites love him and where ever they are celebrating white culture you will see him stumbling up to presidents, governors and mayors. Kissing the asses of Amerikkkan corporate demons, they love him now. Now that he obviously supports white Supremist issues he is loved and used to push forth they're agenda. Ali along with stooge Joe Frazier and punk Floyd Patterson supported Ronald Reagan probably as a reward for murdering Black Panthers and working against Black folk as Governor of California. Joe Frazier is still hated in Philly for his support of wild illiterate former police chief and mayor Frank Rizzo. Later whites allowed Ali to light the Olympic torch and he was welcomed like a "Greek God."

In a couple decades they had transformed our hero into a trembling cartoon and I'm sure they laugh at his transformation. Champ or Chump? You tell me, huh , Champ or Chump.

In Cuba a boxing legend by the name of Teofilo Stevenson was the number one amateur boxer for over two decades. Tall. Black and handsome, he ruled the heavyweight and super heavy divisions in both the Pan-American and Olympic Games. He had three Olympic titles and was a national hero in Cuba. Many times he was offered millions of dollars to turn pro but each time the answer was no.

Stevenson was a supporter of the Cuban people and their revolution and would not sell out. Whites longed to see the Cuban rumble Muhammad Ali, but the answer was always no. He was not interested in prize fighting like a slave, he was a firm supporter of amateur sports and was not attracted to sports for profit, gamblers and exploitation of man by man.

In an era when young Cuban athletes defect to Amerikkka for profit, the lesson of Stevenson is clear "forward with the revolution." Now known as one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen he has always been fiercely loyal to his people. Recently, while leaving Miami he was harassed by some Uncle Tom Cubans at the airport. After one shouted some negative remarks at him about Cuba, its people and their leader Fidel Castro, Stevenson was accused of assaulting what turned out to be an airport official.

Though detained, he was released and allowed to go home. He said he would allow no one to disrespect his country, his people, his leader. He is talking about the Cuba that exports doctors and dentists to poor country to care for the sick. The Cuba that has given asylum to political prisoners like Assata Shakur, queen of the Black Liberation Army. The Cuba that help defeat the South Afrikan Military in Angola which led to the liberation of Namibia, an embarrassing retreat by the South Afrikan Apartheid Army and the dismantling of Apartheid leading to the release of Nelson Mandela.

Yes, it was a military defeat that changed Southern Afrika's political realities. This is the Cuba Stevenson has supported with his love, his labor and his fame. He is a true revolutionary champ, while Muhammad Ali chose the road that defines him as the Chump!

[XXPANTHAXX]

Asante sana Nana Kuntu may you continue to pour your wisdom on us, asante sana NattyReb

[tyydae]

Originally Posted by nattyreb

You tell me, huh , Champ or Chump.

Champ! I don't see things the way Mr. Del does.

[Sun Ship]

This article by Del Jones bothers me greatly. I can accept us searching for the facts and defining our leadership, activist, and other noteworthy Africans accurately both now and historically, but there is lot of name-calling, defaming, and revisionism happening to lessen and destroy the struggles and legacy of our people. The more I see this, the more I think CoIntelPro is still working very subtlety and seditiously from the inside out.

I think this article loses sight of some very necessary historical context, and is not sensitive to a social-cultural perspective needed for a total understanding of what Muhammad Ali meant to many young Black men struggling for identity in the average poor Black neighborhood in those years.

You can’t make a successful world-class athlete everything you like for him to be politically, for in the end he is merely an athlete who fortunately through his athletic ability and not any political activism or academic aspiration has been pushed into the most visible public arena in the world let alone America. From this perspective and what athletes have done in Western culture historically, Muhammad Ali stood alone and above the rest.


Ali beaten the hell out of this white man..

I think this comparison between Ali and Teofilo Stevenson is twisted. For as much as I admire what Castro has done to remove the political and social exploitations that oppressed the poorest of his people and especially African Cubans, he is still not a Black hero, nor has his reign been without questionable practices or the total eradication of racism in Cuba. With this being the case, a fair comparison between Ali and Teofilo Stevenson would be Teofilo being as strong as a Black activist as Ali within the context of political Cuba proper towards it’s mostly non-African government, as Ali was standing up to one of the most corrupt, maniacal, and deadly non-African government known in the history of the world!

To criticize any Black athlete or even activist is fair ground and obviously one’s freedom to speak, which Muhammad Ali exercised without hesitation and reinforced thoroughly, but to slander Ali within this day-and-time by calling him a “Chump” is definitely insulting. For when African young men and women up from slavery born struggling in this country needed to hear a defiant voice in the wilderness of their communities it was not Black socialist and activist blanketing most of our communities with the word, for too many times all the activist where hanging around the universities and were marginally involved in the Black community (let’s be honest), but when Ali stood up and spoke truth-to-power, it reverberated on every street corner and in every Black barbershop and kitchen.

Muhammad Ali did what he did greatly, and we cannot make his legacy anymore or less than what it was. It’s like when track athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos gave the Black power salute at the 1968 Olympics, we where not concern with what they did in their bedrooms, or what they did with their lives afterwards, for this act of defiance gave us all the boost we needed to stand up to oppression just one more day.



Peace

[nattyreb]

OK, Strong Bro., while i don't expect everyone to agree with everything anyone, including Bro. Del, writes, i can't sit still and allow him to be linked with CointelPro in any way whatsoever. Bro. Del was plain-spoken, period, but there's no insidious intrigue to be found in his words or deeds, he was always dedicated to Afrikan love and liberation and sacrificed much toward that end.

On a personal note (and not in defense of anything anybody wrote) my earliest memories of Muhammad Ali were of my father's tremendous pride and eagerness in following his every move. He was so devastated after Ali appeared on TV with Howard Cosell and a gorilla puppet (representing Joe Frazier) that he forbid us to mention his name in our household.

Originally Posted by Sun Ship

The more I see this, the more I think CoIntelPro is still working very subtlety and seditiously from the inside out.

[Sun Ship]

Originally Posted by nattyreb

OK, Strong Bro., while i don't expect everyone to agree with everything anyone, including Bro. Del, writes, i can't sit still and allow him to be linked with CointelPro in any way whatsoever. Bro. Del was plain-spoken, period, but there's no insidious intrigue to be found in his words or deeds, he was always dedicated to Afrikan love and liberation and sacrificed much toward that end.

On a personal note (and not in defense of anything anybody wrote) my earliest memories of Muhammad Ali were of my father's tremendous pride and eagerness in following his every move. He was so devastated after Ali appeared on TV with Howard Cosell and a gorilla puppet (representing Joe Frazier) that he forbid us to mention his name in our household.

As always Sister nattyreb I weigh and value your words and contributions.

Let me say this respectfully Sister nattyreb, CointelPro was not a project in which one had to volunteer or be recruited for, nor did its victims have to consciously participate or be aware of how they were being used. As we know, looking back on our struggle almost every Black organization or Black activist fail victim to the subconsciously-induced psychological warfare of that government project. As a matter of fact, the best safeguard one may have today is to admit that you may be vulnerable or affected so you can be diligent in attempting to monitor what you say or how one response to any particular issue “issued”.

Not excusing some the insane or asinine theatrics of Muhammad Ali, but let me say that many times even our most progressive leadership have said things in response to reactionary negroes they criticize in politics and sports that is unbecoming and a character assassination as they buffoon our adversaries. I can agree some of the things Ali did was reprehensible and I heard later via a documentary on the life of Joe Frazier that Ali apologized and even wept in a sincere and private conversation they had between each other later concerning the vile and sadistic attacks directed towards Joe Frazier. Many times some of these Black boxers he attacked were publicly selling-out Black people themselves, and attacking Ali viciously to please their white benefactors and a white audience who viewed the defeat of Ali in part as a blow against Black defiance in general.

But to make it clearer, my referencing of cointelpro was used as a metaphor, just as sometimes the “Willie Lynch letter” has been used and not a personal attack or accusation towards the writer of the article as if he had been some sort of “double agent”…(I wouldn't disrespect that brother like that) For as you said Sister, Brother Del was plain spoken, well so am I…and if he can go as far as calling Ali a “chump” than his commentary can also take on just as strong as a rebuttal.

[nattyreb]

Bro., also with all due respect, i have no issue with you or anyone else making a rebuttal, that part is understood completely. The only reason i responded at all was due to your CointelPro comment, and now that you say the term was not literal, but merely metaphorical, i better understand it. But if i had not questioned it, hopefully you can understand my concern that others reading your remarks may have actually believed that you were accusing Bro. Del of writing this piece for the purpose of spreading lies concocted by the government and as part of an FBI dirty tricks campaign! Anyone reading should take note that there is nothing remotely resembling any such collaboration, conscious or subconscious, in anything Bro. Del has ever written.

Bro. Del gave Muhammad Ali high praise for the spirit of empowerment he provided our people. Ali had god-like status, and still does in many households, unlike Smith and Carlos. His affliction notwithstanding, his most public actions of recent years mostly mirror his cooperation and celebration of the white power structure! There is no reason for Bro. Del or anyone else to monitor what he says on this issue as he's just speaking the truth as he sees it, uncensored. He was not the type of writer to tiptoe around when he was pissed off and hurt by something/someone, his passion was unbridled.

It's not counterintelligent to speak the truth as one knows it and to put it out there, we have enough fairy tales and "Willie Lynch" letters. We should not be silent when we believe our heroes/sheroes have failed us: If the majority of readers continue to revere this man than they indeed should speak up for him, but we must not deny them the most complete information possible and raise issues from them to address if they wish to investigate further. Del Jones spent a lot of his life politically educating our people in just that way: To excite us and make us angry. To dare us to prove him wrong, challenge us to do him one better, and to educate us on how to better educate ourselves and others. i, for one, spent lots of time debating with Bro. Del Jones years ago and he was so very tough that i may come out stinging, but i would be sharper!

Finally, i have to also disagree with your point about Teofilo Stevenson, altho i see where you're coming from in contrasting the two governments and their relationships to them. What Bro. Del admires and is showing us through that example is that Stevenson refused to be peddled like a slave, he didn't seek the American dream of taking the millions, defecting and betraying the revolution in Cuba, racism and all. i'm not sure how many people could have resisted such an offer as that, it is remarkable and extraordinary! Altho you've rightly illustrated that Ali fought the racism here and Stevenson did not fight it in Cuba (that we know of), his loyalty to his people cannot be questioned in light of the tremendous personal sacrifice that he made in rejecting this alien culture and remaining true to them.

Peace blackatcha, sorry this got so incredibly long.

Originally Posted by Sun Ship

As always Sister nattyreb I weigh and value your words and contributions.

Let me say this respectfully Sister nattyreb, CointelPro was not a project in which one had to volunteer or be recruited for, nor did its victims have to consciously participate or be aware of how they were being used. As we know, looking back on our struggle almost every Black organization or Black activist fail victim to the subconsciously-induced psychological warfare of that government project. As a matter of fact, the best safeguard one may have today is to admit that you may be vulnerable or affected so you can be diligent in attempting to monitor what you say or how one response to any particular issue “issued”.

Not excusing some the insane or asinine theatrics of Muhammad Ali, but let me say that many times even our most progressive leadership have said things in response to reactionary negroes they criticize in politics and sports that is unbecoming and a character assassination as they buffoon our adversaries. I can agree some of the things Ali did was reprehensible and I heard later via a documentary on the life of Joe Frazier that Ali apologized and even wept in a sincere and private conversation they had between each other later concerning the vile and sadistic attacks directed towards Joe Frazier. Many times some of these Black boxers he attacked were publicly selling-out Black people themselves, and attacking Ali viciously to please their white benefactors and a white audience who viewed the defeat of Ali in part as a blow against Black defiance in general.

But to make it clearer, my referencing of cointelpro was used as a metaphor, just as sometimes the “Willie Lynch letter” has been used and not a personal attack or accusation towards the writer of the article as if he had been some sort of “double agent”…(I wouldn't disrespect that brother like that) For as you said Sister, Brother Del was plain spoken, well so am I…and if he can go as far as calling Ali a “chump” than his commentary can also take on just as strong as a rebuttal.

[Sun Ship]

Much love to you first of all Sister and I do respect all that you say.

In the context of making an analysis of Ali and Teofilo relationship to countries in which they both made a name for themselves based on their personal politics, Let me attempt to do as Brother Del has done so skillfully as he focused on the different aspects of Ali's life, and let me separate what Castro has done in the bigger picture from what may be still a possible shortcoming of Castro and why we should view Castro reign with a degree of caution. It's seemingly easy for us to be suspect of the so call indifferences and hypocrisies of whites liberals in America or Cuban Latinos in this country who like in Southern Florida prefer to uphold their unique value of “Latino-ness” which is akin to their honorary whiteness imported from Cuba, but when it comes to Castro's Cuba we become blind to some of the same obvious class distinctions as in white privilege under socialism, whereas Black African Cubans are still at the bottom and are only usually given some higher recognition as athletes and musical performers, which like in America they dominate.

Some of the same racist Black/White dynamics you see in the US and other places in the world exist in Cuba as well as many other Latin American countries. Though I do believe that Stevenson’s reasons for being in solidarity with his people where no doubt valiant and virtuous, this doesn’t prove that Castro didn’t objectify him and other Black Cuban athletes and “peddle” them for their international social political value all the while the rule of the country was solidly in the hands of a class of people who looked more like Castro and not Teofilo! Now in no way can anyone make an one-to-one comparison with the US, as the racial politics in Cuban has its own unique social dynamics and variables like in many other Latin American countries, and we know that just as we have seen a degree of difference in racial politics change after struggle by our people during the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s I would be remised if I ignored the obvious difference in treatment that African Cubans have experienced since the Cuban revolution.

And also, I find it most interesting that Teofilo Stevenson still to this day has high regard for Muhammad Ali as seen in a interview whereas Stevenson showed the interviewer pictures of Ali on his wall and pictures of them together in his photo album. Though I couldn’t make out the Spanish translation, it didn’t seem to me that he was debasing Ali or showed any lack of respect for him or his legacy.

What I was getting at in my previous post was that we have found flaws in almost all of our leadership and heroes (now and historically), and over and over again there is this focus more on the shortcomings of our leaders, activist, and heroes as we constantly question many of their motives.

Sometimes out of frustration we seem to internalize our pain and start to attack each other.

Right here at even this forum we have compared, battled over, and even accused those who many thought where great contributors to our upliftment and described them as being “possible” traitors and hypocrites. We have our leaders and heroes attacking each other. At some point, all of our teachers, heroes, and sheroes will be scrutinized for their human frailties and surely something will be found and this deficit we be placed above all of their life works. I just think this is a dangerous road to pave.

Peace

Originally Posted by nattyreb

Bro., also with all due respect, i have no issue with you or anyone else making a rebuttal, that part is understood completely. The only reason i responded at all was due to your CointelPro comment, and now that you say the term was not literal, but merely metaphorical, i better understand it. But if i had not questioned it, hopefully you can understand my concern that others reading your remarks may have actually believed that you were accusing Bro. Del of writing this piece for the purpose of spreading lies concocted by the government and as part of an FBI dirty tricks campaign! Anyone reading should take note that there is nothing remotely resembling any such collaboration, conscious or subconscious, in anything Bro. Del has ever written.

Bro. Del gave Muhammad Ali high praise for the spirit of empowerment he provided our people. Ali had god-like status, and still does in many households, unlike Smith and Carlos. His affliction notwithstanding, his most public actions of recent years mostly mirror his cooperation and celebration of the white power structure! There is no reason for Bro. Del or anyone else to monitor what he says on this issue as he's just speaking the truth as he sees it, uncensored. He was not the type of writer to tiptoe around when he was pissed off and hurt by something/someone, his passion was unbridled.

It's not counterintelligent to speak the truth as one knows it and to put it out there, we have enough fairy tales and "Willie Lynch" letters. We should not be silent when we believe our heroes/sheroes have failed us: If the majority of readers continue to revere this man than they indeed should speak up for him, but we must not deny them the most complete information possible and raise issues from them to address if they wish to investigate further. Del Jones spent a lot of his life politically educating our people in just that way: To excite us and make us angry. To dare us to prove him wrong, challenge us to do him one better, and to educate us on how to better educate ourselves and others. i, for one, spent lots of time debating with Bro. Del Jones years ago and he was so very tough that i may come out stinging, but i would be sharper!

Finally, i have to also disagree with your point about Teofilo Stevenson, altho i see where you're coming from in contrasting the two governments and their relationships to them. What Bro. Del admires and is showing us through that example is that Stevenson refused to be peddled like a slave, he didn't seek the American dream of taking the millions, defecting and betraying the revolution in Cuba, racism and all. i'm not sure how many people could have resisted such an offer as that, it is remarkable and extraordinary! Altho you've rightly illustrated that Ali fought the racism here and Stevenson did not fight it in Cuba (that we know of), his loyalty to his people cannot be questioned in light of the tremendous personal sacrifice that he made in rejecting this alien culture and remaining true to them.

Peace blackatcha, sorry this got so incredibly long.