Compton Friendship Society Honor Olympian Reynaldo Brown

An “Old School” party and fundraiser was organized for Reynaldo Brown, the world-famous 1968 Olympian from Compton, California. Businessman Art Levias, along with the Compton Friendship Society, brought together friends and former classmates for a reunion supporting this great cause.

Reynaldo is currently facing health challenges and needs an organ transplant. The Friendship Society has been working to raise awareness in the community about the financial assistance he requires. Reynaldo is well-loved and has devoted many years to giving back to the community, so it was an easy decision for people to rally together in support of him.

Reynaldo is cherished everywhere he goes, but he is especially beloved by his friends and family in Compton. Growing up in Compton, Reynaldo became a symbol of pride for the community. His achievements as an Olympic high jumper lifted the spirits of those around him. With every leap he took, he brought his community along for the ride.

The mansion in Compton was filled with attendees for this fundraiser and tribute to Reynaldo. Lifelong friends shared wonderful stories about their experiences growing up together in Compton.

As a child, Reynaldo was a natural-born athlete. He was tall, strong, and remarkably quick and agile for his size. He excelled in championship high school and college basketball, leading his team to the longest winning streak in California High School Basketball history. Compton High had an all-Black basketball team when Reynaldo was there, and they were led by a white head coach, Bill Armstrong. Reynaldo’s team went 66-0 with back-2-back state and national championships.

Reynaldo’s life experiences were amazing. He grew up in Compton and became part of one of the most significant events in American history. He was on the American Track team that competed in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, when Tommie Smith and John Carlos won medals and protested with raised fists and black gloves. This gesture signified the youth and students’ involvement in the Civil Rights movement and brought racism in America to the world’s attention. The Black Power salute by Tommie Smith and John Carlos was a very important event not just in American History but in world history, and Reynaldo Brown, the 17-year-old high jumper from Compton, was right there.

Reynaldo wrote a book about his life. He tells of his victories and defeats, but he tells a straightforward story about his family, his friends, his adventures as a star athlete, and his battles with several illnesses.

This book is a must-read for all of us because while telling his story, he is telling of this country, state, and city that we all share. Reynaldo is telling the story of his community before it was Crips and Bloods, NWA, and Easy E. The city of Compton was rich with athletes, wealthy residents, and proud people. Back then it was called Black Pride. Reynaldo tells of a unique era where a suburban community turned into a refuge for Southern sharecroppers looking to find a new life away from the Jim Crow society they lived in. Reynaldo tells of his parents’ flight to California, seeking a place to raise him and his sibling, like so many other parents. Reynaldo tells his story in his book called “How I Got Over”

It was good to see so many of Reynaldo’s childhood friends. Many of them are very successful in their own right, and it was a first-class event; the worthy cause was an honorable and heartfelt effort by Art Levias and the Friendship Club.