There are rare moments in time when a public figure who has nothing to do with politics changes the course of history by bringing people together for the greater good.
If we look back at Los Angeles’ history about 50 years ago during the Watts Riots, Big Willie Robinson was a street racer who left his home in New Orleans to escape racism.
Big Willie was known for his street racing chops, but his personality and ideas were too big for him to remain a street racer alone.
With the help of the Los Angeles Police Department in the late 1960s, Big Willie founded and led the Brotherhood of Streetracers, a group that spread peace in a politically violent time through their love of cars and racing.
His charm even took him to the big screen in Hollywood.
To capture the essence of this legendary public figure, LA Times reporter Daniel Miller has released a podcast, “Larger than Life”
Larry sits down with Daniel to talk about what he uncovered about Big Willie’s legacy.
Guest:
Daniel Miller, an enterprise business reporter for the Los Angeles Times and host of the podcast about Big Willie Robinson, “Larger Than Life”