My first introduction to music was listening to Smokey Robinson. Like Mars candy bars, my dad loved Smokey Robinson.

Back in the day, Mr. Robinson was revered as an accomplished artist. Today, he is a world icon.  Smokey wrote songs that brought people together in this country when we were still separated.

Over a period of time, most things stay the same and often time fade away.  Like my dad, Smokey continues to get stronger.

I am so glad that my dad introduced me to Smokey because I have been able to track his success. He has adjusted to the times yet maintained his identity. I strive to do the same. Before I approach the fourth quarter of my life, I want to be referred to as an icon. If so, that means that I have helped a lot of people.

Thank you dad for being great and thank you for introducing me to greatness at such a young age.

Living in Atlanta has so many advantages. As a child, I was exposed to so much through my parents and the Atlanta Public School System. That exposure made it difficult for me to decide what I wanted to become in life. That’s a good problem to have. 

One of the first field trips that I can remember taking in elementary school was to the Herndon Home. Just to think that in the early 1900’s, a black man was doing something that he loved, impacting an entire city while obtaining wealth. Looked like the perfect role model for me. 

Mr. Alonzo Herndon’s first successful business venture was a barber shop in Atlanta on Peachtree Street. I hear stories about the marble floors and chandeliers. Here is a black man with a barber shop on Peachtree Street with a clientele of the most successful white men in the south. Mr. Herndon became Atlanta’s first black millionaire. 

The barber shop on Peachtree later became Atlanta Life Insurance which has expanded and continues to thrive. 

As I walked through the Herndon Home as a third grader, I decided that I wanted to be successful just like Mr. Herndon. I knew that I could do it because he did it. 

Today, I am one of the most respected baseball instructors in the country. The seed of striving for excellence was nurtured in the Herndon Home. Thank you Mr. Herndon. Your legacy of excellence lives on through me. 

I remember Tj Wilson taking me to Forsyth County for a batting session with Denny Pritchett while I was in high school. As we drove into the rural town, my heartbeat raced because I was looking for the Klansmen (KKK).  Thank God that I never saw them.

Ten years prior, I watched civil rights activist Hosea Williams marching in Forsyth and being attacked by Klansmen with rocks on television. I associated Forsyth County with hate towards blacks.

Ironically, Mr. Williams made it possible for me to receive baseball instruction so that I would later receive a college education at Georgia State University and play professionally for the Chicago Cubs.

Forsyth County became a land of opportunity for an African-American boy from the inner city of Atlanta.

Thank you Mr. Williams for your sacrifice and commitment to the equal rights of all humans. I will continue to show my appreciation to you through L.E.A.D.

Where would baseball be without the legacy of the Negro League players. In the famous words of Negro League founder Rube Foster, “We are the ship, all else is the sea.” African-Americans weren’t allowed to play in the major leagues so he had the audacity to establish the Negro Leagues and made it great.

We all know about players such as Jackie Robinson and Hank Aaron. Did you know that Booker T. Washington High School (Atlanta, GA) graduated a respected Negro League player?

James Moore, commonly known as “Red” was born in Atlanta, GA in 1916. He played on several Negro League teams but played his best ball with the hometown Atlanta Black Crackers.

“Red” is a living legend. I have had the pleasure of meeting him on several occasions listening to great stories. He expressed how proud that he was of me for establishing L.E.A.D. in his hometown.

There are thousands of African-American males in Atlanta that would love the opportunity to embrace this game that “Red” still lives for. How can it continue to be said that inner city boys don’t want to play baseball? We are talking about baseball. African-Americans have been playing baseball since the days of slavery.

Our country has a problem. There are less than 8% of African-Americans playing baseball at the major league level and less than 5% in the NCAA. Every problem creates an opportunity and L.E.A.D. is the solution. Check our success rate of converting raw African-American talent to college strident-athletes at www.Lead2Legacy.org.

Thank you for inspiring me Mr. James “Red” Moore.

As a child and up until a month ago, I played at A.D. Williams Park in Northwest Atlanta off Hightower Road not knowing who Mr. Williams was. I knew that he had to be somebody special in order to have a park with his namesake.

A month ago, I attended a worship service at Ebenezer Baptist Church and discovered that Mr. Williams King was in fact an ordained minister and Civil Rights leader like his older brother, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Alfred Daniel Williams King (A.D. Williams) was born in Atlanta, GA on July 30, 1930 to Rev. Martin Luther King, Sr. and Mrs. Alberta Williams King and died July 21, 1969.

I am far from a historian. I am however making it a habit to learn about the legacy of men that did so much for society and called Atlanta home.

A.D. Williams is more than a name on a sign at park. He is one of the reasons that I can lead.

Get to know Mr. A.D. Williams King.