Dear Editor:
Much like the students on the Winston-Salem State University campus I was perplexed to read that the former New York Times writer, Jayson Blair, was invited to speak to journalism students. Mr. Blair recently resigned from the New York Times for writing fabricated stories during his eight-month tenure.
I was surprised to also read that they were paying a fee of $3,000 for him to speak.
One student asked, “What kind of role model is he? What kind of example is he setting for the students here?”
Harold Bell is a distinguish Winston-Salem State alumnus and former student/athlete. He is a pioneer in radio and television sports talks shows in the nation. Mr. Bell coined the phrase “Inside Sports.” The phrase, Inside the NBA, Inside the NFL, Inside Baseball, Inside Hockey, Inside Washington, etc. followed “Inside Sports.”
It was Mr. Bell who opened the sports talk show doors for James Brown, host of Fox television NFL half time show, ESPN’s John Thompson, Sugar Ray Leonard, David Aldridge, Michael Wilbon (PTI), NBA Bobcat’s analyst Adrian Branch, and CBS Tennis analyst, Malivai Washington. They all cut their broadcasting teeth on Harold Bell’s “Inside Sports” in Washington, DC.
I had the opportunity to see Mr. Bell on national television on shows like, Geraldo Live and Ted Koppel. I have read his commentaries and stories in the Washington Post, and Winston-Salem Chronicle among other newspapers around the country.
He has been cited in, the Congressional Record by Congressman Lou Stokes (D-Ohio) and Senator Bob Dole (R-Kan.) for outstanding contributions to the community. He is the only sports media personality to ever be named “Washingtonian of the Year” by Washingtonian Magazine. His work with At-Risk youth in Washington, DC metropolitan area is legendary.
On June 5, 2004 in Chicago on Unity Day Mr. Bell received The First Annual Clarence ‘Bighouse’ Gaines Scholarship Award for Unsung Heroes.
His Kids In Trouble, Inc. (501c3 non-profit) organization has touched thousands of children in the past 35 years, thanks to his Christmas Toy parties for needy elementary school children. He has pointed many DC Public High School student/athletes in the direction of Winston-Salem State University.
Kids In Trouble, Inc.–now that is not a bad place to invest $3,000. Too bad, as with Jayson Blair, we are looking for our role models and heroes in all the wrong places.
Brenda D. Sloan
909 20th Street NWWinston-Salem, NC 27105336/724-3222 (v)336/722-1197 (fax)