Ramsay Clark looks back at ten seasons coaching basketball at the Boys Club of Memphis in this autobiography that shines a spotlight on his strong bond with a star player, Cornelius Sanders. In 1985, the team he coached took home the first city championship won by a boys club team. Most people thought their team was the least likely to win. He also helped Cornelius find a job, taking him to a prominent country club where the chef offered him a position on the spot. Kudos to Cornelius for earning the chef's confidence by looking him in the eyes like a man and commanding respect with his exceptional communication skills. Later, the two of them went together to the Million Man Walk in Washington, D.C. in the summer of 1997, with Ramsay-who is white-causing quite a stir with his attendance! The truth is that he thought he was going to a Promise Keepers rally, rather than a civil rights gathering for Black men! Throughout this book, the author observes that the best coaches think about more than wins and losses. Being a good coach is really all about investing in people.
Color Blind is a testimony of how the willingness of two men who crossed racial boundaries and stereotypes created a life-long friendship that changed their lives. Ramsay and Cornelius' story serves as a model to influence future generations in their witness for the Kingdom of God.
Ramsay Clark and I met initially when he volunteered to be a coach of our first girls' basketball team at the Emmanuel Episcopal Center, an outreach of the Episcopal Diocese of West Tennessee serving residents of the Cleaborn and Foote Homes public housing communities in Memphis, Tennessee. It took someone of his Christian character to encourage the sportsmanship needed to develop our participants into a successful team.
The foundation of the initial team created a model for many successful teams. Some of our girls went on to play basketball at their schools, but all of them benefitted from their experience of working together as a team. I credit their success primarily to the leadership of Ramsay Clark.
Ramsay also worked at the Emmanuel Episcopal Center as our Development Director. With his leadership, we were successful in extending our mission and reputation into the Memphis, Tennessee, community to gain the support needed to maintain our commitment to work with inner city residents.
As a volunteer and staff member, Ramsay's Christian witness and devoted care for people we served enabled us to be effective witnesses for the Kingdom of God.
-The Reverend Colenzo J. Hubbard
Founding Executive Director, Emmanuel Episcopal Center & Emmanuel Center, Inc., Colenzo "Rock" Hubbard,
, Alabama Football Team, All American Linebacker, 1973 National Championship,
Coach Paul Bear Bryant Alumni Athlete Award
Ramsay Clark was a white basketball coach. Cornelius Sanders was one of his players; a Black kid from one of the hardest neighborhoods in Memphis. Together, they lived - and they've now written - a story about grace, struggle and the impact open-hearted people can have on each other's lives. It's a story every Memphian - no, every American - can learn from.
-Geoff Calkins
Lead sports columnist for The Commercial Appeal and the host of "The Geoff Calkins Show" on 92.9FM-ESPN.
He has been named the best sports columnist in the country four times by the Associated Press Sports Editors
and is a member of the Scripps-Howard Hall of Fame.
