Mayoral contender Dr. Willie W. Herenton on Thursday picked up the endorsement of IBEW Local 1288, which also announced its support for a slate of other candidates running for city council, county clerk and municipal judge seats in the...
The University of Memphis and Shelby County Schools are creating a partnership aimed at training the next generation of teachers to work in the city’s classrooms.
PHOTO: Caroline BaumanKandi Hill-Clarke is the new dean of the College of Education.
The college...
Kroger, the Memphis Branch of the NAACP and The New Tri-State Defender are teaming up to announce a new grant program aimed at supporting Memphis and it's surrounding communities.
The "Uplift Our Community" initiative was announced at a press conference...
The Tennessee Valley Authority on Wednesday detailed to the Memphis Light, Gas, and Water board of commissioners the measures the utility has taken over the last five years to protect the Memphis Sand Aquifer and restore the retired Allen...
United Way of the Mid-South has launched its annual Free Tax Prep Program. Individuals and families who earned less than $55,000 in 2018 are encouraged to call 2-1-1 to schedule an appointment at a Free Tax Prep location in...
By Montee Lopez, Special to The New Tri-State Defender
As people in myriad parts of the world noted the passing (June 3) of Muhammad Ali with conversations online, on telephones, in person and with varying points of interest, some who meet in a club of friends near Booker T. Washington High School also thought of Henry Hooper II. “When I walked into the club, they said, ‘Hey, I haven’t heard anything about you on the TV,’” said Hooper. A retired Marine veteran and current State Farm Insurance agent, Hooper stepped into the ring with Ali (then known as Cassius Clay) during the Olympic Trials of 1960. The trials, which included men in the Armed Forces, were a series of so-called sparring matches held over the course of three days at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. In the book “Rome 1960,” David Maraniss writes about the tournament, detailing personal testimonies and first-hand experiences of those who participated in the trials. Hooper was a skilled fighter and he knew several forms of martial arts. A Memphis native and BTW graduate, Hooper said he always aspired to go into the service. “I had no ambition to be a professional fighter,” said Hooper, who shared his story with reporters at his South Main office the day before Ali’s Funeral. “I was a soldier.” Hooper made several tours of duty overseas. Ali, who pointed to his religion beliefs and his opposition to the Viet Nam War, refused to go into the U.S. military. Labeled a “draft-dodger” by many, he was stripped of the heavyweight boxing titles he won in 1964 with the upset of Sonny Liston. Hooper said he respected Ali’s views. “He was man enough to stand up for his convictions. …He stood up for what believed in, and I used that same aspect in my life.” On May 19, 1960 Hooper and Ali stood toe to toe. According to “Rome 1960,” Hooper was felled by a devastating knockout punch by Ali in the third round. That doesn’t exactly square with Hooper’s recollection. “In boxing, you’re told to never take your eye off your opponent,” Hooper said, remembering that final round. “The referee was saying something, and I glanced at the referee. There’s a mandatory one-step back, we’ll (Ali) didn’t step back, he just rocked back and he rocked right in my jaw.” Hooper said he went down, but immediately popped back up. However, the referee gave the win to Ali, saying it was a technical knockout. And, said, Hooper, there was no sparring – only fighting. “That’s the real story.” After the fight, the two went separate ways. Cassius Clay won the Olympic gold medal, became Muhammad Ali and won the heavyweight crown three times en route to becoming a legend in and out of the boxing ring. Later as a combat medic, Hooper was part of the U.S. Army’s renowned Green Berets. Assigned to the Secret Service, he provided security for four U.S. presidents. In 1960, Hooper never envisioned the man he fought as someone who would become arguably the greatest heavyweight champion. “Cassius and I had similar styles, and I didn’t think he was any better than I was,” said Hooper. Fifteen years after their bout, Hooper met his one-time opponent as Muhammad Ali at a state dinner at the White House. “(Ali) approached me, saying, ‘Man, don’t I know you from somewhere?’ And I said, ‘1960. Olympic Trials. Cow Palace.’” Today, Hooper sells insurance in Downtown Memphis. He remembers a time when Memphis was a boxing mecca. “They used to have it as an after-school program, but someone got hurt and they had to stop.” Noting Ali’s worldwide impact, Hooper said people should always strive to be the best they can be and help make the world a greater place. “When you’re here, you should do the best you can with whatever God-given talent you have and hopefully you have an impact on the lives of people, not just for personal satisfaction,” he said. “I think that’s what I took out of (Ali’s legacy) mostly.”
As people in myriad parts of the world noted the passing (June 3) of Muhammad Ali with conversations online, on telephones, in person and with varying points of interest, some who meet in a club of friends near Booker T. Washington High School also thought of Henry Hooper II. “When I walked into the club, they said, ‘Hey, I haven’t heard anything about you on the TV,’” said Hooper. A retired Marine veteran and current State Farm Insurance agent, Hooper stepped into the ring with Ali (then known as Cassius Clay) during the Olympic Trials of 1960. The trials, which included men in the Armed Forces, were a series of so-called sparring matches held over the course of three days at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. In the book “Rome 1960,” David Maraniss writes about the tournament, detailing personal testimonies and first-hand experiences of those who participated in the trials. Hooper was a skilled fighter and he knew several forms of martial arts. A Memphis native and BTW graduate, Hooper said he always aspired to go into the service. “I had no ambition to be a professional fighter,” said Hooper, who shared his story with reporters at his South Main office the day before Ali’s Funeral. “I was a soldier.” Hooper made several tours of duty overseas. Ali, who pointed to his religion beliefs and his opposition to the Viet Nam War, refused to go into the U.S. military. Labeled a “draft-dodger” by many, he was stripped of the heavyweight boxing titles he won in 1964 with the upset of Sonny Liston. Hooper said he respected Ali’s views. “He was man enough to stand up for his convictions. …He stood up for what believed in, and I used that same aspect in my life.” On May 19, 1960 Hooper and Ali stood toe to toe. According to “Rome 1960,” Hooper was felled by a devastating knockout punch by Ali in the third round. That doesn’t exactly square with Hooper’s recollection. “In boxing, you’re told to never take your eye off your opponent,” Hooper said, remembering that final round. “The referee was saying something, and I glanced at the referee. There’s a mandatory one-step back, we’ll (Ali) didn’t step back, he just rocked back and he rocked right in my jaw.” Hooper said he went down, but immediately popped back up. However, the referee gave the win to Ali, saying it was a technical knockout. And, said, Hooper, there was no sparring – only fighting. “That’s the real story.” After the fight, the two went separate ways. Cassius Clay won the Olympic gold medal, became Muhammad Ali and won the heavyweight crown three times en route to becoming a legend in and out of the boxing ring. Later as a combat medic, Hooper was part of the U.S. Army’s renowned Green Berets. Assigned to the Secret Service, he provided security for four U.S. presidents. In 1960, Hooper never envisioned the man he fought as someone who would become arguably the greatest heavyweight champion. “Cassius and I had similar styles, and I didn’t think he was any better than I was,” said Hooper. Fifteen years after their bout, Hooper met his one-time opponent as Muhammad Ali at a state dinner at the White House. “(Ali) approached me, saying, ‘Man, don’t I know you from somewhere?’ And I said, ‘1960. Olympic Trials. Cow Palace.’” Today, Hooper sells insurance in Downtown Memphis. He remembers a time when Memphis was a boxing mecca. “They used to have it as an after-school program, but someone got hurt and they had to stop.” Noting Ali’s worldwide impact, Hooper said people should always strive to be the best they can be and help make the world a greater place. “When you’re here, you should do the best you can with whatever God-given talent you have and hopefully you have an impact on the lives of people, not just for personal satisfaction,” he said. “I think that’s what I took out of (Ali’s legacy) mostly.”
In a note of respect, a procession made its way along Beale Street on Friday, passing through the entertainment district that bluesman Preston Shannon punctuated with talent and professional dignity.
Shannon, 70, died on Monday, succumbing to a bout with...
The Honorable Judge Bernice Donald couples the distinction of multiple firsts in the judicial profession with the self-embraced responsibility to “work hard to make sure that there is a second, and a third and, a fourth and so on.”
The...
Memphis Magazine has pulled its September issue after receiving backlash for what some have called a racist cover.
The magazine featured caricatures of three mayoral candidates -- Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer, incumbent Mayor Jim Strickland and former Mayor Dr....
by Adrian Sainz --
Baxter Leach -- a prominent member of the Memphis sanitation workers union whose historic strike drew the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to the city where he was assassinated -- has died, close friends said...