Ali: H K Bell Up Close & Personal
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Actor/Emmy Award Winner Robert Hooks Intro Ali
I met Muhammad Ali the Heavyweight Champion of the world in 1967 on the campus of Howard University. It was a time in his life he was being obstracized by many for refusing to be inducted into the U. S. Army because of his religious beliefs.
I was working for the DC government in the inner-city with youth gangs and at-risk children.
After his inspiring talk with hundreds of students who cheered his every word, he asked for someone to take him on a walking tour of DC. I stepped forward and volunteered. The rest is sports and community history.
In Washington, DC in1967 a shooting after a basketball game between rivals Spingarn and McKinley Tech high schools left a Spingarn student seriously wounded. Talks of revenge quickly spreaded on "The Hill" where Spingarn was located on Benning Road, in NE.
As a Spingarn alumnus and a member of the Youth Gang Task force for the Department of Recreation & Parks, I was assigned to find a way to quell the disturbance.
I was in over my head until I heard the NBA All-Star Game was being played in Baltimore and rookie Dave Bing a friend and Spingarn alumnus was a participant.
On a early Saturday morning I drove to Baltimore and sit out in front of the player's entrance and waited for Dave to arrive. It was a little after 10 am when he arrived with Detroit teammate Bob Lanier.
He was surprised to see me and introduced me to Bob. I explained the reason for my presense and thatI needed him to come home to Spingarn to help me bring back peace between Spingarn and McKinley Tech.
The Monday morning after the All-Star Game Dave made his entrance into the school auditorium and received a standing ovation from students and administrators. His words of wisdom brought peace back to the school community.
Dave Bing the NBA's most underrated player
Dave once a kid in trouble remembers and reaches back.
The following year on April 4, 1968 the riots hit DC and other inner-cities around the country. NFL Hall of Fame player Willie Wood (Green Bay) and I were standing on the corner of 9th & U Streets NW enjoying a bright sunny day when all hell broke loose, someone yelled from a passing car, "Harold Bell they just shot and killed Dr. King in Memphis." Willie and I were both working as Roving Leaders for the Department of Recreation & Parks (Youth Gang Task Force). During the riots blacks destroyed their own communities and they have yet to recover.
KIT board member Andrew Johnson and I wishing Willie a happy birthday.
Coach Vince Lombardi said, "Willie is my coach on the field."
In December out of those ashes my wife Hattie and I found our non-profit organization Kids In Trouble, Inc. We hosted 45 straight years of Christmas toy parties for needy children (1968-2013) without grands or loans. The NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL all followed Kids In Trouble's lead in reach back efforts in the community.
DC's first black police chief "Officer Friendly" Burtell Jefferson leads by example and host KIT toy party
Officer Charles Robinson and I follow the chief's lead and share a laugh with boys in the "The Hood"
Hattie and I were married Nov 1968 and hosted our first Christmas toy party for needy kids Dec 1968 my Virginia Sailor teammate LB George Kelly was Santa
Santa's Helper, Redskin LB the late Harold McLinton
Santa is a QB-Doug Williams at W-U-S-T Radio
Doug Williams 1st black to win Super Bowl and MVP
Hattie T with Doug Williams at Pigskin Club in DC
The late NFL great Johnny Sample-he was a man among men.
JB Brown, Roy Jefferson, Willie Wood, Sonny Hill and Johnny Sample attend Inside Sports fashion show
In 1970 I became the first black in DC to host and produce his own radio sports talk show "The Original Inside Sports" aired on W-O-O-K Radio
76er George McGinnis reads promo for Inside Sports
NBA Godfather the late Red Auerbach and wife Dotie were frequent guest on Inside Sports
Red Auerbach celebrates Black History Month
Black History Month celebration at Bolling AFB / Sam Jones, James Brown and the late Earl Lloyd
The benefactors of Kids In Trouble and Inside Sports read like a Who's Who, John Thompson, Jr., Sugar Ray Leonard, Dave Bing, Jim Brown, Earl Lloyd, Don King, Willie Wood, James Brown, Michael Wilbon, Dave Aldridge, Kevin Blackistone, Bill Rhoden, Larry Fitzgerald, Sr., Cathy Hughes, Andrian Dantley, Adrian Branch, and the list goes on and on.
ESPN's Michael Wilbon and Gary Mays share a laugh
the late Lou Stokes (D-Ohio) and NFL great Jim Brown reach back making children first.
The late Emanuel Steward and Kronk World champions, Thomas 'Hit Man' Hearns & Hilmer Kenty reach back to KIT.
NBA great Sam Jones offers words of wisdom
DC Superior Court Judge the late Harry T. Alexander and Redskin LB Harold McLinton are Santa's Helpers
NFL MVP RB Larry Brown help to open first ever half-Way House on Bolling Air Force Base in SE DC
NFL films makes debut at KIT Saturday Program. Larry and Harold teach swimming to inner-city kids
Robin Sugar Williams sings "Hero" to DC Superior Court Judge the late Luke C. Moore at KIT toy party.
Here comes the Judges, Luke and the late Chief Judge Gene Hamilton https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fkafk63frbg
NFL RB Duane Thomas shares in the holiday spirit
Heavyweight Champion George Foreman and I hangout at Job Corp Center in DC
Thanks to Ali I was able to reach back and inspire a down and out troubled kid like Sugar Ray to become the first boxer to earn $100 million in prize money.
In 1974 Muhammad Ali flew me and Rodney Brown my cameraman/producer to Chicago to discuss a proposed television special where he would be my special guest.
Rodney and I were picked up at the airport by his head of security, Pat Patterson. Pat drove us directly to the gym where Ali was working out before a standing room only crowd.
The work out lasted for about 30 minutes and Ali disappeared into his dressing room. The next thing I knew his brother Rahman was asking me to follow him.
As I walked into the dressing room I heard "Whats up my brother?" Ali was lying on a table with his trainer Wali Muhammad giving him a message. I sit down in the chair in front of the table.
"What kind of television show do you want to do?" My response, 'I want to do a show on the game called life.'
"Why do you want to do a show on the game called life?" My response, 'because it is the most important game being play in our community today is life and death.'
He said, "okay we can do the interview in Zaire." In 1974 plans were on the drawing board for him to fight the undefeated Heavyweight Champion of the World, George Foreman in October.
When he said the interview could be done in Zaire, I had to get myself together. I said, "Are you kidding me. I am scare to fly across the ocean too much water?"
Ali sat straight up on the table and started to flap his arms and make sounds, cluck-cluck like a chicken.
Wali looked on and just smiled, but I stood my ground and laughed at him acting a fool.
Ali was full of surprises and what he said next left me speechless. He said, "okay if you don't want to go to see beautiful Africa our mother land, then we will do the interview as soon as I get back home, after I knock that sucker out!"
He fell asleep on the table and I fell asleep on the couch. The next thing I knew Howard Bingham his best friend and photographer was waking me up saying, "Harold wake up, the champ has to get some rest!"
I looked up at him and asked, "Howard, what in the hell do you think I am doing?" He was the jealous kind.
Rodney was still in the gym waiting for me and when I told him Ali wanted me to do the interview in Zaire, but I said "No Way." He could not believe I said no to a trip to Africa.
Later that evening we had dinner with the champ and the entire entourage. Pat took us back to airport for the flight back home to DC.
To make a long story short I missed the greatest fight in boxing history up close and personal. Ali knocked out Big Bad George Foreman in the 8th round. He shocked the world.
The biggest shock came 5 days after the fight when my telephone rang in my SE DC apartment on a rainy night. It was about 10 pm when I picked phone half asleep and the voice on the other end said, "Let me speak to Harold Bell." My response, 'Who is calling.'
The voice boomed back, "Fool this is Muhammad Ali, the Heavyweight Champion of the World." I sit straight up in the bed and hollered 'Whats up champ?'
He didn't miss a beat and said, "You still want to do that interview?" I said, 'Yea man.'
"Okay, I am in New York City and I just got in. This is the address where I am staying, bring your camera crew and meet me here in the morning for the interview."
He hung up the phone and I sit straight up in the bed again and broke out in a cold sweat.
I had no money, car or cameras! I called my man Rodney Brown and told him that Ali had just called me from New York City and he wants us to come there to do the interview in the morning.
Rodney immediately said, "Harold Bell you are a liar and your feet stink!"
I explained to Rodney my dilemma, I had no money, car or cameras. He said, "Man no problem, I got the car, Wil has the credit card and PBS has the cameras."
Wil Williams was Rodney's friend and they were working on a special for PBS. They kidnapped the cameras from PBS and picked me up at midnight and we were in New York City at 6:10 am the next morning.
We had breakfast and arrived at the hotel around 7 am I called Ali's room and he annswered the phone. The rest is sports media history.
Rodney Brown, Wil Williams and Harold Bell had scooped Howard Cosell (ABC), Ed Bradley (60 Minutes), Bryant Gumble (NBC) and the entire sports media world. Thanks to a one of a kind and thoughtful human being, Muhammad Ali.
On NFL Sunday November 23, 1975 I became the first Black to host and produce his own television sports special in prime time (3:30 pm) on NBC affiliate WRC-TV 4. The Greatest Muhammad Ali was my special guest.
Harold Bell and Muhammad Ali make American sports media history with 1st prime time sports special aired on NBC afilliate WRC-TV 4
Major League Baseball homerun king Henry Aaron watches Ali interview
Muhammad Ali and wife Varonica the love of his life
Hail to and long live my friend and champion
"Harold if you had played the game they would have been calling Howard Cosell the black Harold Bell." Gene Kilroy, Ali's business manager
The close on Inside Sports, "EVERY BLACK FACE I SEE IS NOT MY BROTHER AND EVERY WHITE FACE I SEE IS NOT MY ENEMY. I AM HAROLD BELL AND YOU CAN COLOR ME GONE"
Note worthy: Auto race car pioneers Tommy Thompson and Leonard Miller were guest on Inside Sports in 1977. Len's story "Silent Thunder" will be coming to a theater near you soon. Tommy was killed in a auto race in 1978.
I met Muhammad Ali the Heavyweight Champion of the world in 1967 on the campus of Howard University. It was a time in his life he was being obstracized by many for refusing to be inducted into the U. S. Army because of his religious beliefs.
I was working for the DC government in the inner-city with youth gangs and at-risk children.
After his inspiring talk with hundreds of students who cheered his every word, he asked for someone to take him on a walking tour of DC. I stepped forward and volunteered. The rest is sports and community history.
In Washington, DC in1967 a shooting after a basketball game between rivals Spingarn and McKinley Tech high schools left a Spingarn student seriously wounded. Talks of revenge quickly spreaded on "The Hill" where Spingarn was located on Benning Road, in NE.
As a Spingarn alumnus and a member of the Youth Gang Task force for the Department of Recreation & Parks, I was assigned to find a way to quell the disturbance.
I was in over my head until I heard the NBA All-Star Game was being played in Baltimore and rookie Dave Bing a friend and Spingarn alumnus was a participant.
On a early Saturday morning I drove to Baltimore and sit out in front of the player's entrance and waited for Dave to arrive. It was a little after 10 am when he arrived with Detroit teammate Bob Lanier.
He was surprised to see me and introduced me to Bob. I explained the reason for my presense and thatI needed him to come home to Spingarn to help me bring back peace between Spingarn and McKinley Tech.
The Monday morning after the All-Star Game Dave made his entrance into the school auditorium and received a standing ovation from students and administrators. His words of wisdom brought peace back to the school community.
Dave Bing the NBA's most underrated player Dave once a kid in trouble remembers and reaches back. The following year on April 4, 1968 the riots hit DC and other inner-cities around the country. NFL Hall of Fame player Willie Wood (Green Bay) and I were standing on the corner of 9th & U Streets NW enjoying a bright sunny day when all hell broke loose, someone yelled from a passing car, "Harold Bell they just shot and killed Dr. King in Memphis." Willie and I were both working as Roving Leaders for the Department of Recreation & Parks (Youth Gang Task Force). During the riots blacks destroyed their own communities and they have yet to recover.
KIT board member Andrew Johnson and I wishing Willie a happy birthday.Coach Vince Lombardi said, "Willie is my coach on the field."In December out of those ashes my wife Hattie and I found our non-profit organization Kids In Trouble, Inc. We hosted 45 straight years of Christmas toy parties for needy children (1968-2013) without grands or loans. The NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL all followed Kids In Trouble's lead in reach back efforts in the community.
DC's first black police chief "Officer Friendly" Burtell Jefferson leads by example and host KIT toy partyOfficer Charles Robinson and I follow the chief's lead and share a laugh with boys in the "The Hood" Hattie and I were married Nov 1968 and hosted our first Christmas toy party for needy kids Dec 1968 my Virginia Sailor teammate LB George Kelly was SantaSanta's Helper, Redskin LB the late Harold McLinton Santa is a QB-Doug Williams at W-U-S-T RadioDoug Williams 1st black to win Super Bowl and MVPHattie T with Doug Williams at Pigskin Club in DC The late NFL great Johnny Sample-he was a man among men.JB Brown, Roy Jefferson, Willie Wood, Sonny Hill and Johnny Sample attend Inside Sports fashion showIn 1970 I became the first black in DC to host and produce his own radio sports talk show "The Original Inside Sports" aired on W-O-O-K Radio
76er George McGinnis reads promo for Inside Sports
NBA Godfather the late Red Auerbach and wife Dotie were frequent guest on Inside Sports Red Auerbach celebrates Black History MonthBlack History Month celebration at Bolling AFB / Sam Jones, James Brown and the late Earl LloydThe benefactors of Kids In Trouble and Inside Sports read like a Who's Who, John Thompson, Jr., Sugar Ray Leonard, Dave Bing, Jim Brown, Earl Lloyd, Don King, Willie Wood, James Brown, Michael Wilbon, Dave Aldridge, Kevin Blackistone, Bill Rhoden, Larry Fitzgerald, Sr., Cathy Hughes, Andrian Dantley, Adrian Branch, and the list goes on and on.
ESPN's Michael Wilbon and Gary Mays share a laughthe late Lou Stokes (D-Ohio) and NFL great Jim Brown reach back making children first.
The late Emanuel Steward and Kronk World champions, Thomas 'Hit Man' Hearns & Hilmer Kenty reach back to KIT.NBA great Sam Jones offers words of wisdomDC Superior Court Judge the late Harry T. Alexander and Redskin LB Harold McLinton are Santa's HelpersNFL MVP RB Larry Brown help to open first ever half-Way House on Bolling Air Force Base in SE DCNFL films makes debut at KIT Saturday Program. Larry and Harold teach swimming to inner-city kidsRobin Sugar Williams sings "Hero" to DC Superior Court Judge the late Luke C. Moore at KIT toy party.Here comes the Judges, Luke and the late Chief Judge Gene Hamilton https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fkafk63frbgNFL RB Duane Thomas shares in the holiday spiritHeavyweight Champion George Foreman and I hangout at Job Corp Center in DCThanks to Ali I was able to reach back and inspire a down and out troubled kid like Sugar Ray to become the first boxer to earn $100 million in prize money. In 1974 Muhammad Ali flew me and Rodney Brown my cameraman/producer to Chicago to discuss a proposed television special where he would be my special guest.
Rodney and I were picked up at the airport by his head of security, Pat Patterson. Pat drove us directly to the gym where Ali was working out before a standing room only crowd.
The work out lasted for about 30 minutes and Ali disappeared into his dressing room. The next thing I knew his brother Rahman was asking me to follow him.
As I walked into the dressing room I heard "Whats up my brother?" Ali was lying on a table with his trainer Wali Muhammad giving him a message. I sit down in the chair in front of the table.
"What kind of television show do you want to do?" My response, 'I want to do a show on the game called life.'
"Why do you want to do a show on the game called life?" My response, 'because it is the most important game being play in our community today is life and death.'
He said, "okay we can do the interview in Zaire." In 1974 plans were on the drawing board for him to fight the undefeated Heavyweight Champion of the World, George Foreman in October.
When he said the interview could be done in Zaire, I had to get myself together. I said, "Are you kidding me. I am scare to fly across the ocean too much water?"
Ali sat straight up on the table and started to flap his arms and make sounds, cluck-cluck like a chicken.
Wali looked on and just smiled, but I stood my ground and laughed at him acting a fool.
Ali was full of surprises and what he said next left me speechless. He said, "okay if you don't want to go to see beautiful Africa our mother land, then we will do the interview as soon as I get back home, after I knock that sucker out!"
He fell asleep on the table and I fell asleep on the couch. The next thing I knew Howard Bingham his best friend and photographer was waking me up saying, "Harold wake up, the champ has to get some rest!"
I looked up at him and asked, "Howard, what in the hell do you think I am doing?" He was the jealous kind.
Rodney was still in the gym waiting for me and when I told him Ali wanted me to do the interview in Zaire, but I said "No Way." He could not believe I said no to a trip to Africa.
Later that evening we had dinner with the champ and the entire entourage. Pat took us back to airport for the flight back home to DC.
To make a long story short I missed the greatest fight in boxing history up close and personal. Ali knocked out Big Bad George Foreman in the 8th round. He shocked the world.
The biggest shock came 5 days after the fight when my telephone rang in my SE DC apartment on a rainy night. It was about 10 pm when I picked phone half asleep and the voice on the other end said, "Let me speak to Harold Bell." My response, 'Who is calling.'
The voice boomed back, "Fool this is Muhammad Ali, the Heavyweight Champion of the World." I sit straight up in the bed and hollered 'Whats up champ?'
He didn't miss a beat and said, "You still want to do that interview?" I said, 'Yea man.'
"Okay, I am in New York City and I just got in. This is the address where I am staying, bring your camera crew and meet me here in the morning for the interview."
He hung up the phone and I sit straight up in the bed again and broke out in a cold sweat.
I had no money, car or cameras! I called my man Rodney Brown and told him that Ali had just called me from New York City and he wants us to come there to do the interview in the morning.
Rodney immediately said, "Harold Bell you are a liar and your feet stink!"
I explained to Rodney my dilemma, I had no money, car or cameras. He said, "Man no problem, I got the car, Wil has the credit card and PBS has the cameras."
Wil Williams was Rodney's friend and they were working on a special for PBS. They kidnapped the cameras from PBS and picked me up at midnight and we were in New York City at 6:10 am the next morning.
We had breakfast and arrived at the hotel around 7 am I called Ali's room and he annswered the phone. The rest is sports media history.
Rodney Brown, Wil Williams and Harold Bell had scooped Howard Cosell (ABC), Ed Bradley (60 Minutes), Bryant Gumble (NBC) and the entire sports media world. Thanks to a one of a kind and thoughtful human being, Muhammad Ali.
On NFL Sunday November 23, 1975 I became the first Black to host and produce his own television sports special in prime time (3:30 pm) on NBC affiliate WRC-TV 4. The Greatest Muhammad Ali was my special guest.
Harold Bell and Muhammad Ali make American sports media history with 1st prime time sports special aired on NBC afilliate WRC-TV 4 Major League Baseball homerun king Henry Aaron watches Ali interviewMuhammad Ali and wife Varonica the love of his life Hail to and long live my friend and champion
"Harold if you had played the game they would have been calling Howard Cosell the black Harold Bell." Gene Kilroy, Ali's business manager
The close on Inside Sports, "EVERY BLACK FACE I SEE IS NOT MY BROTHER AND EVERY WHITE FACE I SEE IS NOT MY ENEMY. I AM HAROLD BELL AND YOU CAN COLOR ME GONE"
Note worthy: Auto race car pioneers Tommy Thompson and Leonard Miller were guest on Inside Sports in 1977. Len's story "Silent Thunder" will be coming to a theater near you soon. Tommy was killed in a auto race in 1978.Organizer
Harold Bell
Organizer
Suitland, MD
