"So lets keep up the boycott on responding to Lance regarding anything about NBMA & Tony Reed". - Anonymous Comment on Harlem 26.2. Q. Who's going to be the happiest people on earth that Harlem 26.2 ending? My friends the Black Marathoners. I only wish they were as passionate as the ultra runners. You see the Ultra runners are serious right? Good for them, I respect that - isn't it too bad Black people were not the same way? Originally on this blog I hyped the Black Marathoners & it's founder Tony Reed. In the spirit of Black solidarity I said , "Tony is doing the damn thing.... I am no where near Tony" . The truth is The National Black Marathoners is nothing more than a vehicle for Tony Reed (the founder) to promote himself - it's like an "Al Sharpton strategy", building a cottage industry around himself. Al Sharpton's a good guy but had no business being on that stage on the left in 
that Presidential debate. Al simply created noise, exploited "White guilt" , and was deferred a voice of credence by White people - when really he was just the Black guy shouting the loudest and playing the race card. That's Tony Reed's strategy and Tony Reed is no more qualified to speak on matters "Black" and or "marathon" than Al Sharpton is on negotiating NAFTA. Last month at the Cowtown Marathon 53 year old Tony Reed was beaten by 15 Minutes by an 80 year old man. It's true, 80 year old Gene Brock ran a 5:36 Cowtown Marathon besting Tony Reed's 5:51 by 15 minutes. Tony Reed is 1 hour and 20+ minutes slower than Oprah Winfrey. Tony Reed does not even try, is not fit, does not train, and does not run - the man has no running ethic or regime at all - he literally walks these marathons. Why does it matter? Because through a PR Agency - Malloy Marketing Group and to the media & public Tony Reed markets a narrative of himself as a "marathon runner", l
eaning heavy on the "race card", and leveraging the assumed & implied credence that is deferred to the words that speak to a heritage & legacy "National Black Marathoners' Association". I care about the real heritage and legacy that as a matter of practice Tony Reed refuses to recognize on the Black Marathoners' webstie - or ever in an interview. Tony Reed markets himself as someone qualified to talk about health, the running ethic, marathon running, etc. it's all a fraud. "The National Black Marathoners' Association", those words are his currency to gain access, attention, & open doors...and he uses them exclusively to promote and hype himself. To this day you cannot find the name Ted 
Corbitt on the National Black Marathoners' Website. Is that not hilarious? Tony Reed preserves a collective ignorance within the organization by not recognizing the history inherent in the words and name he's co-opted to use as his personal currency. Now get this, when asked to speak to the lack of Black Americans in distance running?...Tony Reed said Black Americans are "lazy". His exact words? (In speaking in the context of Black Americans and The Marathon, Tony Reed said, "With a lot of Americans, it's easier to take a pill or a shot than to get up off the couch and become active," Reed said of what he calls the diseases of inactivity". Does this not equate to "Lazy"? Tony Reed, a guy with no running ethic who walks 6 hour marathons said Blacks are lazy. Keep in mind the legendary running visionary (and racist - there on the left) Arthur Newton , once said "Blacks would never run distance. They just don't have what it takes to do the distance". How much difference is there really in Arthur Newton's words about Blacks and running and Tony Reed's? Meanwhile Tony Reed's age-graded scores in his last 2 marathons were 39% and 40%, the very bottom of the barrel and he risk being disqualified in events that have a 6 hour cut off. Tony Reed's marathon walks of 6 hours matter as it's a contradiction of what he markets (in building a cottage industry around himself). Does anyone expect the N
ational Association of Black Journalist to be headed by someone who can read and write? How about the National Association of Black Accountants? They're headed by a woman from my hometown, Oakland, CA, she's Gwendolyn Skillern, I am sure Tony Reed, a CPA, knows her. Does anyone including Tony Reed expect the National Association of Black Accountants to be headed by someone who can count? Tony Reed himself expects the National Association of Black Accountants to be headed by someone who rates above the very bottom of the barrel.....or in other words, exactly where he does (6 hour walking marathons) as the head of the National Black Marathoners' Association. I only say this because the guy does not even try - he does not care. He will market this false narrative and hope the media extends him an "affirmative action" allowance / consideration a
nd give him a stage - if he were White, no one would care. An example? This weekend Tony Reed is walking the ING Georgia marathon, followed up by walking the St. Louis Marathon on the next weekend. What sense does it make for a 6 hour marathoner to be entered into marathons spaced by 5 or 6 days? None, but it does not matter for Tony Reed, it's all about fulfilling the narrative as America's Black Marathon runner who has ran 100 marathons (all about quantity, to hell with quality - no one ever asks...). I could care less about this - if he did it in his own name and 
not that of a heritage & legacy that I covet. If you're new to this blog - this is a continuation of a protest of mine against Tony Reed & The National Black Marathoners, there are 4 main parts: PART 1, PART 2, PART 3 & PART 4. Everyone knows I am demanding the changing of their shameful logo of ignorance, that's it on the left, this 1865:FREE TO RUN. The Black Marathoners are out of Texas, a State that made it illegal for Tony Reed and the Black Marathoners to run in hundreds of City and State Parks in 1950, these laws were dubbed "Jim Crow Laws". People who violated these laws were arrested at best, lynched at worse, both happened. Declaring 1865:FREE TO RUN is denying the history of America and reality that Black people were denied, arrested, lynched, had dogs sicked on them, water hoses sprayed at them, it's a denial of segregation and the entire civil rights movement. Today I went to the National Black Marathon Association website and wow, look here, Tony Reed showcasing the medals he's collected walking in Marathons. That's the actual photo above on the right that Tony Reed found fitting to place on the National Black Marathoners' Association website. A photo of his medals. He justified placing that photo by addressing the pressing need of informing members of how to best store their medals. Keep in mind Tony Reed will not make space on the Black Marathoners' website for 
Ted Corbitt or anything whatsoever on the history of American Blacks and Distance Running. Tony Reed & The Black Marathoners' website offers 
no information or resources on training, nutrition, courses, race calendar(s), etc. absolutely nothing, not a scintilla of content that running clubs commonly have (makes sense as it's a fraudulent organization). However what does Tony Reed find fitting and appropriate to place on their website?... a photo of his medals! His Marathon "bling" Tony Reed's basically like that guy on the left above, "Don the Magic Juan" - a real negro proudly flashing his bling, "look at me and all my finery". Ridiculous. I've never seen the head of a running club or organization of any kind - place a photo of all their medals on their website for any reason, have you? They're the "The Church of Tony Reed" - this photo their alter. All while offering nothing of value, or benefit, or meaningful to the running endeavor. The organization is Tony Reed's personal platform to promote Tony Reed and their members? Bamboozled in whole. He even has a close inner circle that have come on this blog - they're actually more like Scientology than a running club - very cult like and I feel for the Black people who are turning to them, assuming due to their name they're legitimate - when they are not. Well there are people who are saved from Scientology but can these Black people be saved? I've outlined a 5 point plan to bring some legitimacy and semblance of an actual running organization to the National Black Marathoners.
(1) Heritage & Legacy: Recognize the heritage and legacy inherent in the name and words you've chosen to brand yourselves with. Harlem 26.2 has all sorts of content on the History of Black Americans and distance running including literature and video. Take it - all, please, claim it for your own, re-brand it, I don't care. What's important is that this information is shared with your members. Very few Black r
unners have ever heard of Ted Corbitt, Delores Cross, or the literature of Dr. John Oliver Killens. I've never met a Black person that ever heard of Arthur Newton or Frank Hart. You assume the name of a legacy and heritage and have a duty to bring recognition and dignity to it.
(2) The "FREE TO RUN" Logo Must Go! As "iconography" Tony Reed is branding himself & his organization on par with a "Happy Black Sambo" stereotype with that logo above. Let's explore this through the lens of academic authority, "The Coon caricature, for example, portrays black men as lazy, ignorant, and obsessively self-indulgent; these are also traits historically represented by the word Nigger".
- Ferris State University Museum of Racism Memorabilia. Tony Reed has no running ethic & walks marathons,
his logo a declaration ignorance, and with his self-promoting press releases, photos of his medals, self-published book? Can anyone here connect dots? Does the shoe not fit? ...if it walks like a duck? Do I need to say any more? Okay, Tony Reed is not a Nigger, no one is, he's a Black man, I only wish he was an educated Black man. There is a point where there are no more excuses and that point is now. That logo is modern day "Coon & Nigger" iconography worthy of placement in the Ferris State University Museum of Racism Memorabilia. If you doubt that, click the link and you'll see Tony Reed's logo passes the "Happy Black Sambo Nigger test" in flying colors - nothing to be proud of.
(3) Social Network Strategy: Dump the lame Yahoo Group! Set up a forum within Athlinks.com and or Coolrunning.com You're further "ghetto-izing" yourselves in the isolation of Yahoo & minimal functionality of Yahoo. There are dynamic social network forums with rich infrastructure, tools, & resources for runners (logs, calendars, calculators, tips). A minimal effort to place links on your own site to RunningInTheUSA and MarathonGuide.com. This is a simple and easy means to provide people everywhere access to a race calendar, they can find local 5Ks or Ultras, if they're traveling they can find races and events. This is pretty simple stuff you all, even a place like Sweat365.com which I have blogged about, Sweat365 (A social network serving the running community) has a complete library section addressing training, nutrition, etc. All of this is easily manageable. Tony Reed & The Black Marathoners do not have to re-invent the wheel for crissakes! It's invented, done - all they have to do is set up shop (so to speak), extension shop if you will - at places like the social n
etwork forums I have listed, linked, and blogged about. These forums cover the "heavy lifting" (the training logs & tools, race calendars, nutrition, injury recovery).
(4) Strategically Placed Annual Summit: Tony Reed is having the annual '09 meeting gathering at the Cowtown Marathon, right where he lives - convenient for himself and he's walked the race 18 times before. He made this decision to bring full circle to the personal narrative he will market to the public and media through an PR agency, it will be his 100th marathon & the place where he had his first. This self-serving self-coronation decision making must end. If the organization wants legitimacy - it's gotta be about something bigger than Tony Reed. The annual meetings should have proximity to regions with high Black populations (not that Apache Junction Lost Dutchman crap they just did). It's about tapping into the Black professional societies in cities, conjuring promotion and support through organizations & media: I offered 4 or 5 examples before, one was the Philadelphia Marathon which has a 26.2, Half, 8K & Kids races - variety for all - the city of Philadelphia to tap into - and Verizon is a key sponsor - Verizon has in place health and education foundations and programs servicing the Black community - align in markets and with sponsors wherein you can conjure synergy - leverage your mission ten-fold....employ strategic thought and vision to where and why you meet at a specific annual event, not this self-promotion crap of Tony Reed.
(5) Strategic Networking: RRCA (Road Runners Club of America), Co-Founded by a Black man, Ted Corbitt). Why isn't The National Black Marathoners' Association a member of the Road Runners Club of America? Over 700 Running clubs are, what's their excuse? I blogged about the 2008 National Running Conference held in San Diego with over 350 entities focused on the business of running (every shoe & apparel maker, lots of Marathon RDs, nutrition/food makers,
running oriented dot.com companies, retailers, you name it...if it involved running & business - they were there). For some reason the Black Marathoners take pride in being insular and staying "ghetto'ized" in their functioning. They wear this like a badge of honor - when it's really a statement of stupidity. I know lots of running clubs and organizations that have sponsors of all types (shoes, apparel, nationwide discounts on all sorts of stuff from restaurants to hotels). It's Tony Reed's job to attend the 2008 National Running Conference and network - sponsorship starts over lunch, a drink, a face to face conversation and handshake. The National Black marathoners can easily secure sponsors - they just lack leadership with planning and vision. Again, it's a Tony Reed self promotion vehicle, not a real organization per the name and branding they co-opted. Everyone in NYC knows local superstar Westchester Track Club runner John Samsel - probably the most distinguished member of the 30,000+ strong New York Road Runners and impeccable integrity. For reasons having to do with some of my professional matters - from time to time I speak to executives within the running industry - Samsel will co-sign on that - I've brought Samsel to meetings, some with famous national running figures like Craig Virgin for example (a very cool guy). The point? If the Black Marathoners' got rid of that logo and recognized the heritage and legacy inherent in the name they co-opted, I will personally get them real major sponsorship, shoes & apparel. I can do that. But they've got to get past taking pride in being "ghetto'ized", insular, and separate from the whole. They must welcome being woven into the fabric of running in America on a business level and be members and network within the RRCA for example. Howevever right now with his modern day "Coon Nigger" iconography logo Tony Reed & The Black Marathoners are "untouchable" for any significant sponsorship - (and they don't even know it, never viewed it through that lens).
If the Black Marathoners is indeed a real organization - they will have members who have the courage to say, "Tony, it's not about that asshole Lance in New York - it's about our own dignity & esteem" and the logo will go and their site will offer enrichment in the context of running. Black people in that organization have to decide if they deserve better - because they have nothing right now - they're nothing but pons in Tony Reed's world and agenda (for himself). In closing, this is not about me. This is about what I know. What I know the Black Marathoners are missing out on, what I know is possible. What I feel their members warrant and deserve. Today Tony Reed and that organization is a fraud and disgrace to the heritage & legacy of the name Tony Reed has co-opted. Tony Reed wants the privileges the name and branding deliver and none of the responsibilities. I covet the Black American Marathoning legacy and take an enormous amount of pride in
being Black. I don't have art on my walls in my home. About 8 years ago I got an account at Sotheby's Auction House here in NYC and started collecting slave documents, buying the documents that controlled the lives of Black people. The sales receipts, contracts, auctioneers papers, medical check ups required before being sold, the insurance claims when a slave lost an arm or a leg in a farming accident, I have it all. I take a lot of pride in owning the documents that controlled the lives of Black people and place these documents in frames and on my walls. I like to believe the souls of these people live through the documents that controlled them, their whole lives - and it's rewarding these documents are now in Black hands - and souls heralded and admired by me. These documents (and imagining the lives behind them) inspire me to give total effort - in everything. Do you think there's a chance in hell I am going to let a fraud, Tony Reed use the name and branding of a heritage and legacy as his personal currency to hype and promote himself (while excluding that legacy of recognition & dignity?). I committed to being a countering voice to Tony Reed to anyone who gives him any legitimacy of any kind until he changes the logo & exposes that organization to the heritage and legacy inherent in its name. I will be ending this blog - but not that concern, I have it managed going forward. Have a great day!!
that Presidential debate. Al simply created noise, exploited "White guilt" , and was deferred a voice of credence by White people - when really he was just the Black guy shouting the loudest and playing the race card. That's Tony Reed's strategy and Tony Reed is no more qualified to speak on matters "Black" and or "marathon" than Al Sharpton is on negotiating NAFTA. Last month at the Cowtown Marathon 53 year old Tony Reed was beaten by 15 Minutes by an 80 year old man. It's true, 80 year old Gene Brock ran a 5:36 Cowtown Marathon besting Tony Reed's 5:51 by 15 minutes. Tony Reed is 1 hour and 20+ minutes slower than Oprah Winfrey. Tony Reed does not even try, is not fit, does not train, and does not run - the man has no running ethic or regime at all - he literally walks these marathons. Why does it matter? Because through a PR Agency - Malloy Marketing Group and to the media & public Tony Reed markets a narrative of himself as a "marathon runner", l
eaning heavy on the "race card", and leveraging the assumed & implied credence that is deferred to the words that speak to a heritage & legacy "National Black Marathoners' Association". I care about the real heritage and legacy that as a matter of practice Tony Reed refuses to recognize on the Black Marathoners' webstie - or ever in an interview. Tony Reed markets himself as someone qualified to talk about health, the running ethic, marathon running, etc. it's all a fraud. "The National Black Marathoners' Association", those words are his currency to gain access, attention, & open doors...and he uses them exclusively to promote and hype himself. To this day you cannot find the name Ted 
Corbitt on the National Black Marathoners' Website. Is that not hilarious? Tony Reed preserves a collective ignorance within the organization by not recognizing the history inherent in the words and name he's co-opted to use as his personal currency. Now get this, when asked to speak to the lack of Black Americans in distance running?...Tony Reed said Black Americans are "lazy". His exact words? (In speaking in the context of Black Americans and The Marathon, Tony Reed said, "With a lot of Americans, it's easier to take a pill or a shot than to get up off the couch and become active," Reed said of what he calls the diseases of inactivity". Does this not equate to "Lazy"? Tony Reed, a guy with no running ethic who walks 6 hour marathons said Blacks are lazy. Keep in mind the legendary running visionary (and racist - there on the left) Arthur Newton , once said "Blacks would never run distance. They just don't have what it takes to do the distance". How much difference is there really in Arthur Newton's words about Blacks and running and Tony Reed's? Meanwhile Tony Reed's age-graded scores in his last 2 marathons were 39% and 40%, the very bottom of the barrel and he risk being disqualified in events that have a 6 hour cut off. Tony Reed's marathon walks of 6 hours matter as it's a contradiction of what he markets (in building a cottage industry around himself). Does anyone expect the N
ational Association of Black Journalist to be headed by someone who can read and write? How about the National Association of Black Accountants? They're headed by a woman from my hometown, Oakland, CA, she's Gwendolyn Skillern, I am sure Tony Reed, a CPA, knows her. Does anyone including Tony Reed expect the National Association of Black Accountants to be headed by someone who can count? Tony Reed himself expects the National Association of Black Accountants to be headed by someone who rates above the very bottom of the barrel.....or in other words, exactly where he does (6 hour walking marathons) as the head of the National Black Marathoners' Association. I only say this because the guy does not even try - he does not care. He will market this false narrative and hope the media extends him an "affirmative action" allowance / consideration a
nd give him a stage - if he were White, no one would care. An example? This weekend Tony Reed is walking the ING Georgia marathon, followed up by walking the St. Louis Marathon on the next weekend. What sense does it make for a 6 hour marathoner to be entered into marathons spaced by 5 or 6 days? None, but it does not matter for Tony Reed, it's all about fulfilling the narrative as America's Black Marathon runner who has ran 100 marathons (all about quantity, to hell with quality - no one ever asks...). I could care less about this - if he did it in his own name and 
not that of a heritage & legacy that I covet. If you're new to this blog - this is a continuation of a protest of mine against Tony Reed & The National Black Marathoners, there are 4 main parts: PART 1, PART 2, PART 3 & PART 4. Everyone knows I am demanding the changing of their shameful logo of ignorance, that's it on the left, this 1865:FREE TO RUN. The Black Marathoners are out of Texas, a State that made it illegal for Tony Reed and the Black Marathoners to run in hundreds of City and State Parks in 1950, these laws were dubbed "Jim Crow Laws". People who violated these laws were arrested at best, lynched at worse, both happened. Declaring 1865:FREE TO RUN is denying the history of America and reality that Black people were denied, arrested, lynched, had dogs sicked on them, water hoses sprayed at them, it's a denial of segregation and the entire civil rights movement. Today I went to the National Black Marathon Association website and wow, look here, Tony Reed showcasing the medals he's collected walking in Marathons. That's the actual photo above on the right that Tony Reed found fitting to place on the National Black Marathoners' Association website. A photo of his medals. He justified placing that photo by addressing the pressing need of informing members of how to best store their medals. Keep in mind Tony Reed will not make space on the Black Marathoners' website for 
Ted Corbitt or anything whatsoever on the history of American Blacks and Distance Running. Tony Reed & The Black Marathoners' website offers 
no information or resources on training, nutrition, courses, race calendar(s), etc. absolutely nothing, not a scintilla of content that running clubs commonly have (makes sense as it's a fraudulent organization). However what does Tony Reed find fitting and appropriate to place on their website?... a photo of his medals! His Marathon "bling" Tony Reed's basically like that guy on the left above, "Don the Magic Juan" - a real negro proudly flashing his bling, "look at me and all my finery". Ridiculous. I've never seen the head of a running club or organization of any kind - place a photo of all their medals on their website for any reason, have you? They're the "The Church of Tony Reed" - this photo their alter. All while offering nothing of value, or benefit, or meaningful to the running endeavor. The organization is Tony Reed's personal platform to promote Tony Reed and their members? Bamboozled in whole. He even has a close inner circle that have come on this blog - they're actually more like Scientology than a running club - very cult like and I feel for the Black people who are turning to them, assuming due to their name they're legitimate - when they are not. Well there are people who are saved from Scientology but can these Black people be saved? I've outlined a 5 point plan to bring some legitimacy and semblance of an actual running organization to the National Black Marathoners.(1) Heritage & Legacy: Recognize the heritage and legacy inherent in the name and words you've chosen to brand yourselves with. Harlem 26.2 has all sorts of content on the History of Black Americans and distance running including literature and video. Take it - all, please, claim it for your own, re-brand it, I don't care. What's important is that this information is shared with your members. Very few Black r
unners have ever heard of Ted Corbitt, Delores Cross, or the literature of Dr. John Oliver Killens. I've never met a Black person that ever heard of Arthur Newton or Frank Hart. You assume the name of a legacy and heritage and have a duty to bring recognition and dignity to it.(2) The "FREE TO RUN" Logo Must Go! As "iconography" Tony Reed is branding himself & his organization on par with a "Happy Black Sambo" stereotype with that logo above. Let's explore this through the lens of academic authority, "The Coon caricature, for example, portrays black men as lazy, ignorant, and obsessively self-indulgent; these are also traits historically represented by the word Nigger".
- Ferris State University Museum of Racism Memorabilia. Tony Reed has no running ethic & walks marathons,
his logo a declaration ignorance, and with his self-promoting press releases, photos of his medals, self-published book? Can anyone here connect dots? Does the shoe not fit? ...if it walks like a duck? Do I need to say any more? Okay, Tony Reed is not a Nigger, no one is, he's a Black man, I only wish he was an educated Black man. There is a point where there are no more excuses and that point is now. That logo is modern day "Coon & Nigger" iconography worthy of placement in the Ferris State University Museum of Racism Memorabilia. If you doubt that, click the link and you'll see Tony Reed's logo passes the "Happy Black Sambo Nigger test" in flying colors - nothing to be proud of.(3) Social Network Strategy: Dump the lame Yahoo Group! Set up a forum within Athlinks.com and or Coolrunning.com You're further "ghetto-izing" yourselves in the isolation of Yahoo & minimal functionality of Yahoo. There are dynamic social network forums with rich infrastructure, tools, & resources for runners (logs, calendars, calculators, tips). A minimal effort to place links on your own site to RunningInTheUSA and MarathonGuide.com. This is a simple and easy means to provide people everywhere access to a race calendar, they can find local 5Ks or Ultras, if they're traveling they can find races and events. This is pretty simple stuff you all, even a place like Sweat365.com which I have blogged about, Sweat365 (A social network serving the running community) has a complete library section addressing training, nutrition, etc. All of this is easily manageable. Tony Reed & The Black Marathoners do not have to re-invent the wheel for crissakes! It's invented, done - all they have to do is set up shop (so to speak), extension shop if you will - at places like the social n
etwork forums I have listed, linked, and blogged about. These forums cover the "heavy lifting" (the training logs & tools, race calendars, nutrition, injury recovery).(4) Strategically Placed Annual Summit: Tony Reed is having the annual '09 meeting gathering at the Cowtown Marathon, right where he lives - convenient for himself and he's walked the race 18 times before. He made this decision to bring full circle to the personal narrative he will market to the public and media through an PR agency, it will be his 100th marathon & the place where he had his first. This self-serving self-coronation decision making must end. If the organization wants legitimacy - it's gotta be about something bigger than Tony Reed. The annual meetings should have proximity to regions with high Black populations (not that Apache Junction Lost Dutchman crap they just did). It's about tapping into the Black professional societies in cities, conjuring promotion and support through organizations & media: I offered 4 or 5 examples before, one was the Philadelphia Marathon which has a 26.2, Half, 8K & Kids races - variety for all - the city of Philadelphia to tap into - and Verizon is a key sponsor - Verizon has in place health and education foundations and programs servicing the Black community - align in markets and with sponsors wherein you can conjure synergy - leverage your mission ten-fold....employ strategic thought and vision to where and why you meet at a specific annual event, not this self-promotion crap of Tony Reed.
(5) Strategic Networking: RRCA (Road Runners Club of America), Co-Founded by a Black man, Ted Corbitt). Why isn't The National Black Marathoners' Association a member of the Road Runners Club of America? Over 700 Running clubs are, what's their excuse? I blogged about the 2008 National Running Conference held in San Diego with over 350 entities focused on the business of running (every shoe & apparel maker, lots of Marathon RDs, nutrition/food makers,
running oriented dot.com companies, retailers, you name it...if it involved running & business - they were there). For some reason the Black Marathoners take pride in being insular and staying "ghetto'ized" in their functioning. They wear this like a badge of honor - when it's really a statement of stupidity. I know lots of running clubs and organizations that have sponsors of all types (shoes, apparel, nationwide discounts on all sorts of stuff from restaurants to hotels). It's Tony Reed's job to attend the 2008 National Running Conference and network - sponsorship starts over lunch, a drink, a face to face conversation and handshake. The National Black marathoners can easily secure sponsors - they just lack leadership with planning and vision. Again, it's a Tony Reed self promotion vehicle, not a real organization per the name and branding they co-opted. Everyone in NYC knows local superstar Westchester Track Club runner John Samsel - probably the most distinguished member of the 30,000+ strong New York Road Runners and impeccable integrity. For reasons having to do with some of my professional matters - from time to time I speak to executives within the running industry - Samsel will co-sign on that - I've brought Samsel to meetings, some with famous national running figures like Craig Virgin for example (a very cool guy). The point? If the Black Marathoners' got rid of that logo and recognized the heritage and legacy inherent in the name they co-opted, I will personally get them real major sponsorship, shoes & apparel. I can do that. But they've got to get past taking pride in being "ghetto'ized", insular, and separate from the whole. They must welcome being woven into the fabric of running in America on a business level and be members and network within the RRCA for example. Howevever right now with his modern day "Coon Nigger" iconography logo Tony Reed & The Black Marathoners are "untouchable" for any significant sponsorship - (and they don't even know it, never viewed it through that lens).If the Black Marathoners is indeed a real organization - they will have members who have the courage to say, "Tony, it's not about that asshole Lance in New York - it's about our own dignity & esteem" and the logo will go and their site will offer enrichment in the context of running. Black people in that organization have to decide if they deserve better - because they have nothing right now - they're nothing but pons in Tony Reed's world and agenda (for himself). In closing, this is not about me. This is about what I know. What I know the Black Marathoners are missing out on, what I know is possible. What I feel their members warrant and deserve. Today Tony Reed and that organization is a fraud and disgrace to the heritage & legacy of the name Tony Reed has co-opted. Tony Reed wants the privileges the name and branding deliver and none of the responsibilities. I covet the Black American Marathoning legacy and take an enormous amount of pride in
being Black. I don't have art on my walls in my home. About 8 years ago I got an account at Sotheby's Auction House here in NYC and started collecting slave documents, buying the documents that controlled the lives of Black people. The sales receipts, contracts, auctioneers papers, medical check ups required before being sold, the insurance claims when a slave lost an arm or a leg in a farming accident, I have it all. I take a lot of pride in owning the documents that controlled the lives of Black people and place these documents in frames and on my walls. I like to believe the souls of these people live through the documents that controlled them, their whole lives - and it's rewarding these documents are now in Black hands - and souls heralded and admired by me. These documents (and imagining the lives behind them) inspire me to give total effort - in everything. Do you think there's a chance in hell I am going to let a fraud, Tony Reed use the name and branding of a heritage and legacy as his personal currency to hype and promote himself (while excluding that legacy of recognition & dignity?). I committed to being a countering voice to Tony Reed to anyone who gives him any legitimacy of any kind until he changes the logo & exposes that organization to the heritage and legacy inherent in its name. I will be ending this blog - but not that concern, I have it managed going forward. Have a great day!!
5 comments:
Lance,
A very interesting and educational post. Please keep posting, I enjoy your writing style and coverage of "controversial" subjects, whether it is about running or other issues.
Happy trails,
Bad Ben
I've just been pointed to your blog and was surpised to see you were closing up shop. Poor timing on my part I guess.
Interesting stuff, just skimming the surface now. With Ted's death I'd been thinking about this stuff and sort of lamenting the fact that the black youngsters I see on my loops in the park don't seem to have inherited any kind of legacy of healthfulness and taking care of their bodies. I'd heard about the black marathoners group and something about it didn't sit right with me, but as a white woman, I was probably a little hesitant to think about it too critically. You make some great points here. I'm interested to read more to see what exactly in your writing has ruffled so many feathers.
Good luck with your running and all the exciting happenings in your personal life as well. I too struggled with the 3 hour mark, but then went and "cherry-picked", as you say, a flat course. I'm going to try again in a few weeks in a more challenging locale and then maybe I can call it legit!
This is a very good information and a nice post...keep posting...:D
zbsports
That's really an interesting post. Keep it up.
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