I was born in Baltimore, MD. I learned the value of a dollar as a lad doing a AFRO Amercian newspaper route. My middle class family background instilled the significance of education in me early. I went to VSU on a football scholarship. I pledged Kappa Alpha Psi. My football career got stopped short due to a injury. I decided to study hard to become an attorney.

I graduated DEANS LIST my senior year. I got accepted to Harvard Law School. Some say I was brilliant in the field of mergers and acquisitions. In 1968, I worked at a NY law firm, practicing corporate law. Just two years later I set up the first African American law firm on Wall Street. I remained a counsel for a NY based Commission for Racial justice and represented the Wilmington Ten.

In 1983, I bailed out the McCall Pattern Company(113 year old company). I acquired them for 22.5 million.  They were struggling in a declining industry. I turned them around in just shy of four years. I sold them them for 65 million making a 90 to 1 return on my investment. In 1987, I purchased Beatrice Foods International food division.

I made them “Respect my conglomerate”,  It was the largest off-shore leverage buy-out EVER. With revenues of 1.5 Billion. I made Black Enterprises top 100 African American businesses.

I was before Oprah, Russel Simmons, Jay-Z/ Beyonce, and Elijah Muhammad as Americans “Black Billionaires”. I reported revenues of 1.8 Billion in 1987.

I was the attorney of Arthur Ashe, Stokely Carmicheal just to name a few. I helped David Dinkins run to become Mayor of NYC. I achieved all these accolades as a lawyer, entrepreneur, philanthropist, CEO, devoted family man, and loyal friend before I made my final transition at fifty years old.

Who am I? I’ll give you a hint… I wrote a book called” Why Should White Guys Have All The Fun?”

I was born in Louisville, KY. I am a stand up dude, I based my life on principles, values, and justice. I was born with Polio. My pride and my word have inspired anyone in the grasp of my ear shot. While most minorities were scared of the powers that be, (take your pick)hatred and  racism, or the US government, they were very much afraid of me. I’ve inspired some of the world’s most socially conscious religious, political or spiritual leaders from the likes of Fidel Castro, Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X, and Elijah Muhammad.

I credit the skills of my life’s profession because someone stole something from me at 12. “He stole my bicycle so I wanted to whoop him bad” The police officer said I had better train to be well equipped for any adversary. I took his advice and since then I’ve obtained 6 Golden Glove titles in Kentucky, Gold medals in the Summer Olympics (1960) My amateur career record was 100 WINS and 5 Losses. My style was highly unorthodox. Some say I was overdosed on confidence. I really was the man folks loved to hate.I gained the Heavyweight champion belt at age 22. Only Brownsville, Brooklyn bad boy Mike Tyson beat my record in 1986 at age 20 years old.

I beat Larry Holmes, Henry Cooper, Smokin’ Joe  Frazier (may he R.I.P.) I cleaned George Foreman’s grill, Brownsville (never ran never will) Brooklyn’s own FLOYD PATTERSON,  and I punished Sonny Liston for cheating.  My biggest fight was the US Boxing Commission, The US Air force because I refused to be drafted in the military. My stance was I don’t have any beef with the Vietcong because they have never called me a NIGGER. My pride and unyielding principles got me banned from Boxing for a little while. My fans all of the world still reign me as, “The World’s Greatest” Who am I??

I’ll give you a hint… “I float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.”

Written by Merci Merc.