Little David

Destination Freedom. The Chicago Defender and Station WMAQ bring you Destination Freedom, a radio series dramatizing the great democratic traditions of the Negro people, Interwoven in the Patent of History, and a part of America's own Destination Freedom.

Today, Destination Freedom tells the story of Joe Lewis, World's Heavyweight Champion, in a chapter entitled Little David. That was the 10 second warning. In 10 seconds, ladies and gentlemen, they'll throw him into the ring.

He'll be born. Sit still. There's the bell. His first fight is on. He's in the ring. His fists double tight. The jeans have been juggled in the blood mix. The arena's the cotton land of Alabama.

There are no shouts. There's no crowd. The take from the gate won't pay the cost of his coming. The odds are against us even winning around. Still, he's the challenger. He's a little David in the story.

So speak, challenger. Say something prophetic, something profound. And this was his war song, his first revelry. And these are the words of his chief trainers. Oh, for crying out loud, can't we have no peace?

He's crying, because he ain't had the right diet. Diet? The doctor said we'd like to. I can't help what the doctor said. Six kids and this makes us seven. Don't be enough food to go round.

We are managed, Monroe. We always have. Oh, when the crops were good, but the soils were out in the soil, my... I'm sick. Monroe? Huh? He stopped crying. Look at him cuddled up like little David in the Bible.

Why you want to name him, Joe? Why you want to name him David? Because he's going to be like David and rise up and challenge the world. Oh, you expect that all the kids? No, he's Joe Lewis Barrow.