1 Degree to Kunta Kinte

Please don't be offended; let me explain.

Twelve years ago this week, I had the great pleasure of inviting Hollywood actor John Amos to the UCM campus through my Performing Arts Series. John is widely recognized for his roles as the adult Kunta Kinte in Alex Haley's miniseries "Roots" and as the father in the TV show "Good Times."

You might also recall him as Gordy Howard, the weatherman on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," Admiral Fitzwallace on "The West Wing," among many other TV appearances. John has appeared in numerous films, including "Coming To America" and "Die Hard." The last time I saw him in a role was in the 2022 film "Me Time," starring Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg. He still looked like the great guy I came to call a friend.

I have a couple of stories about John that you might find interesting. John had written and was starring in his award-winning one-man play, "Halley's Comet," so I arranged for him to perform it on campus and engage in some activities with UCM students during his residency.

When I went to pick him up at the KC airport, as I was waiting for him to disembark the plane, I noticed an airline employee wheeling an elderly black man with a blanket over his legs in a wheelchair. As they got closer, I realized it was my passenger, John Amos. I thought, Uh-Oh. I met them, and thankfully John stood up from the wheelchair and walked with me, along with his friend and manager, to the car after I retrieved their luggage.

The first thing he wanted was to go out and get several bags of Epsom Salt, which I did. He mentioned he needed to soak with it because his legs were failing after years of football and boxing. (more on that later)

While John was in residency, he graciously agreed to speak to an Africana Studies class on campus and conduct an acting workshop with UCM Theater students. Additionally, John inquired about the presence of a black choir on campus, and since we did, we arranged for the UCM Black Collegiate Choir to perform during the intermission of his show.

I received a call from KMBC-TV in Kansas City asking if John could appear on their morning show during his visit. He agreed and we went to the station, and I was able to be on set during his live interview. On our way back to Warrensburg, he shared with me the story of his brief football career with the KC Chiefs. He mentioned that one day Coach Hank Stram called him into his office and said, "John, you are not a football player; you are a man trying to play football." The coach suggested he might want to focus on his poetry instead.

He then asked me if Len Dawson was still in KC, and I said yes, and he is broadcasting sports on KMBC. John said he hadn't talked to Lenny in years, it sure would be nice if he could reconnect with his old friend. Later that day, I contacted KMBC, spoke with Len's agent, and obtained Len's home phone number. The next morning, when I picked up John, I told him I had Len's phone number and that Len had said he should call. We sat in the hotel parking lot as I listened to a famous Hollywood actor converse with an NFL Hall of Fame quarterback. They reminisced about old times, pranks they pulled on teammates, and the fun they had in the huddle. It was quite surreal, as you can probably imagine.

Meeting and becoming friends with John is one of the highlights of my career, and I will always remember how kind and sharing he was, and just, well, cool.