Avante
10-09-2014, 03:30 PM
I was 5/6 years old when I picked up a newspaper my dad had been looking at. There was a picture of a black guy winning some race. It wouldn't be until years later that I found out that was Leamon King from nearby Delano, a little farm labor town. King was the fastest high school kid in the nation. He'd go on to tie world records and make our 1956 Olympic team.
While I was in jr high in Visalia, about 40 miles west was Lemoore, they had a kid named Tommie Smith. He was even on the tv he was that fast. He'd go on to become the greatest 200/400 man the world had ever seen and even to this day he is still considered the greatest 100/200/400 sprinter ever. Yep, he's one of the black glove sprinters at those 68 Olympics.
There was also the great Rafer Johnson the 1960 Olympic decathlon gold medalist from Kingsburg which was about 40 miles north on HWY99. His brother Jim Johnson in the pro football Hall of Fame, a cornerback with the Niners.
Ernie Smith the brother of Tommie, Maxie Parks an Olympic 400 man, Randy Williams an Olympic long jump champ, Lee Evans a WR holder in the 400/Oly gold.
Also back in the days of Leamon King was a cat from Cochoran*** named Jerry White, he was the nations top high school 400m sprinter.
Now add Alvin Mann, Sam Davis, Bill Cowings, Ocie Early.
All the above black athletes, all from right around here. I saw all that growing up here in the valley. So what message did it send?
*** where Charles Manson was at
While I was in jr high in Visalia, about 40 miles west was Lemoore, they had a kid named Tommie Smith. He was even on the tv he was that fast. He'd go on to become the greatest 200/400 man the world had ever seen and even to this day he is still considered the greatest 100/200/400 sprinter ever. Yep, he's one of the black glove sprinters at those 68 Olympics.
There was also the great Rafer Johnson the 1960 Olympic decathlon gold medalist from Kingsburg which was about 40 miles north on HWY99. His brother Jim Johnson in the pro football Hall of Fame, a cornerback with the Niners.
Ernie Smith the brother of Tommie, Maxie Parks an Olympic 400 man, Randy Williams an Olympic long jump champ, Lee Evans a WR holder in the 400/Oly gold.
Also back in the days of Leamon King was a cat from Cochoran*** named Jerry White, he was the nations top high school 400m sprinter.
Now add Alvin Mann, Sam Davis, Bill Cowings, Ocie Early.
All the above black athletes, all from right around here. I saw all that growing up here in the valley. So what message did it send?
*** where Charles Manson was at