In October1970, undefeated heavyweight, Muhammad Ali defeated Jerry Quarry, number one contender, in three rounds by Technical Knockout in Atlanta, Georgia. I was standing outside the old Atlanta Municipal Auditorium selling copies of the Black Panther newspaper. When the fight was over the doors flew open. I sold a paper to Jessie Jackson, one to Coretta King, Arthur Ashe and Bill Cosby who also donated 50 dollars to the breakfast program ..Diana Ross wouldn’t buy one..she asked if I would give her one…I did. Then we all ran over to the boxing Ring. There on the corner was a bloody towel. When the fight was stopped Jerry Quarry had been bleeding horribly, I grabbed the towel . A white dude asked if I would sell it to him ..I said “how much” ..he produced two 100 dollar bills. I took them, and gave him the towel. One thing about being in the Black Panther Party in those days is that it was a 24/7 job. Sometimes we hardly ever had anything to eat. I took the money and six other people in the party to “Hunter Street” ( Now MLK dr.) which was where the BPP office was and where we lived …took everybody to D&Ws all night cafe. and we ate like kings and queens. By morning we still had 98 dollars….of course it went to the free breakfast program. Anyway this was Ali’s first fight after a three year layoff…An exciting time
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