A Chess Poem by MMA Fighter D'Juan Owens
(L) MMA Fighter D'Juan Owens, (C) HHCF Founder Adisa Banjoko (R) Dr. Peter Goldman
I've played chess outside with homeless men in NY....I've played chess with a multi millionaire in his compound in South America...I've played chess in about 24 states and 9 countries...and once with a def man in the Russian winter, in Russian November in a hotel hallway...I've played chess with REAL scholars, REAL gangsters, humanitarians, activist, and bigots alike. I've played chess with jiu jitsu, judo, AND luta livre black belts. I've played chess in classrooms as well as a waiting room of a jail...I've had the pride of the enlisted on my back in the finals of a tournament on an aircraft-carrier against a lieutenant colonel while sailing past the horn of Africa. CHESS is the great equalizer... - D'Juan Owens
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With all of the tension and chaos out there, I wanted to share a poem I meant to share long ago. It is by a great MMA fighter, chess teacher and dancer named D'Juan Owens. He has been an ally for the HHCF for the last 2 years or more now. I wanted to shift the focus toward unity among American citizens of all backgrounds.
