As one of four 2024 recipients of the National Civil Rights Museum’s Sports Legacy Award, Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith will be saluted both before and during the Memphis Grizzlies’ game against the Golden State Warriors on Martin Luther King Day. The other three recipients are Alex English, Calvin Hill, and Renee Montgomery.
Congratulations on the Sports Legacy Award. You are only the second baseball legend to be awarded this honour, the first being Willie Mays.
I suppose I’m walking on thin ice. I feel privileged and honoured to receive any honours you receive from sources other than sports or business. to be among those who are pursuing endeavours unrelated to their fame.
Dr. King and countless others, like Andrew Young and Ralph Abernathy, had the guts to speak up and give African Americans the opportunity to accomplish what we have. The battle rages on to this day. It is still ongoing. As we speak, there’s a lot of whitewashing going on. I remember the hardships: the dogs, the pain, the water hoses. All the hardships endured by those who came before us in order to reach this position… I salute those who are prepared to carry on the battle. Even while we’ve made great progress, there’s still more work ahead of us.
With a leader like him, his influence was immense. When a prominent figure such as Dr. King is assassinated, it significantly impacts your life thereafter. You may see exactly where and how it happened in your visions. This weekend, I’ll get the opportunity to stroll through the area. It must be really moving.
After 20 or 25 years of playing sports, like me, you start seeking for the next challenge. I retired from sports in 1996. You need something competitive, and I found golf to fill that vacuum. I was instantly smitten with it. In Southern California, I was never able to pick up a golf club during my childhood. Football, basketball, or baseball were the constants. I had no idea what it meant to be asked to lead the St. Louis chapter of PGA REACH as president when I was asked.
Exposing youngsters not just to the game of golf, but the business of golf is a terrific method for them to acquire discipline in life, honesty. I was able to provide students with opportunities via that lens that they would not have otherwise.
