By Askia Muhammad
by Askia Muhammad
In the summer of 1961, when “Negro” anything, always meant “first” something, I was a rising high school senior in Los Angeles. I was a member of the Scholastic Sports Association, a sports reporting network associated with the Los Angeles Examiner newspaper.
One of the SSA brass was affiliated with the Hollywood Post of the American Legion. As it had always done, the American Legion took 800 boys to the State Capital for a week-long camp-out-reality show, and exercise in American government called California Boys State. I represented the American Legion Miracle Mile Post in 1961. I was their first Negro. At the conclusion of Boys State, two boys are chosen to represent that state in the ultimate assembly: Boys Nation.
It was at Boys Nation one year later when William Jefferson Clinton had his picture taken with Pres. John F. Kennedy, at Boys Nation 1962. This caused young Bill to believe he was destined to become President of the United States. Which he did.
Me? I was a Class Clown. Hey: Dare to Giggle. Dare to Grin. That’s my motto.
So, in a cynical moment, I sold my chance to be President for $5. Here’s how the deal was “structured.” (I realize that no White Boy worth his salt would have paid any Negro Boy good money for the Negro Boy’s life-long chance to be President.) He paid me in special 1961 California Boys State money! Worth only slightly more than your basic “Monopoly” money.
But I still think I got the better part of that deal. I think the fact that I had sense enough to barter my chance to be President, makes me think I wasn’t the outright “square” I always thought myself to be. So, I pat myself on the back for having been that “Nickel Slick,” back in the day. Go Obama.
