The Black Jesus of Winston Salem

http://www.booktv.org/program.aspx?ProgramId=8744&SectionName=&PlayMedia=No

Was watching the book party for Clarence Thomas over the weekend on CSpan 2 which becomes www.booktv.org on the weekends.
House party was sponsored by Black Radio talk show host of DC, a native South Carolinian. Lot of SCLinians at the party including, Bob Jones III, Senator Graham; lot of talk about Gamecock Football and SC State.
At one point Thomas is giving a sports history lesson to a thirty something ESPN commentator. Thomas hits him with the question just who was the "Black Jesus of Winston Salem." Younger fellow didn't know. Thomas tells him it was Earl the Pearl Monroe.
My Daddy woulda known, but here in Collinsville Neil Thrash down for the Sunday night I got Ups round robin didn't know, and Larry Dutton did not know either. Dutton thinks the answer to all Basketball questions of that era is Bill Russell.
But I digressed.

Thomas on camera working the room for his book party was pretty interesting TV. Some of the Caucasion Carolinians looked like they mighta escaped the traveling tour of the 70's play the Last of the White Magnolias. Not the exact title, but it got Furman in trouble in the 70's.
Almost all of the Supremes showed up including Scalia, who seems to be a fun guy. He told Thomas he was just making a cameo appearance and got a big laugh from Clarence.
Senator Arlen Spectre asked Thomas if he could ask him an "indelicate question." Thomas was game. It was something about the NY Times review of Thomas book, which elicited from Thomas kinda of a disgruntled dismissal as to be expected from the liberal media (Thomas Characterization.)
Bob JOnes III, Spectre, Stuart Taylor who wrote the recent book on the Duke Lacrosse Team, and the Last of the Magnolias in the same room, all quite interesting.
Here in Alabama there is a small uproar about Thomas's characterization of then Senator Heflin during the confirmation hearings; Heflin having the presence of an Old Plantation boss in Thomas's mind. Quite disturbing to folks in the state who know Heflin much better than Thomas; also raising questions about Thomas fitness for the court.
I have not seen or heard of Casey Mattox weighing in on the book party or the book.


Two different Stories here, though if Earl the Pearl was the Black Jesus of WSalem then maybe my friend Fletcher Smith is the BJ of Gaffney, South Carolina.
Was watching ABC with George Steph yesterday morning when up on the screen on National TV during George's interview with Prez Candidate Richardson is a quote from my friend Fletcher, now Jesse Jackson's Mother's state rep in Greenville, South Carolina, a seat he has held for a bout twenty years now.
Fletcher preceded me by a year at Gaffney High School. We were in the band together, he holding down the tuba section and me the trombone section. Together with King we are drum majors for Justice.
Fletcher was cochair of Richardson's camp in South Carolina but is bolting to Biden over the Iraq war. The quote kinda stunned Richardson. Neither Fletcher or Richardson or folks of malice, nevertheless Richardson was kinda stunned.
In 04 Flethcer was Joe Lieberman's state chair. It was at Lieberman's reception in SC after the Feb 04 debate in Gville in SC I mumbled out some jumbo of a question to Lieberman about progressive Baptists, and Lieberman, said with a wry smile: "I never met a bad Baptist."
We both got a good laugh out of the circumstances.
Congrats to Fletcher. Agree with his politics or not, he stays in the arena.