"Big Willie" Robinson passes away

GTX JOHN · 05-20-2012, 07:37 AM

With a heavy heart I need to tell everyone that my Friend/Hero/Mentor: "Big Willie" Robinson has passed away.
He has been in bad health this year and struggling with complications from Diabetes.

Many of you know him as the President of The Los Angeles Street Racers and
I have had, as Vice President and a Southern California Organizer of the club, the great pleasure of his company
since 1964 or 1965...........Truly an era (at least in our automotive history in LA ) has passed!

He kept many of us off the street though starting the Brotherhood Raceway Track in the Los Angeles Harbor area.
Although Willie loved Drag Racing, he often told me that in many ways the racing was just..... a "Gimmick" in his perspective.
If you looked at our colors, you would see a patch on the right sleeve that has an American Flag and the inscription
"New Breed of Brotherhood" above it. Willie saw the racing as a "Gimmick" to bring a diverse group of different
ethnic groups together to interact as friends. Fifty years ago that was often a very difficult task, particularly around
Los Angeles in that turbulent time around the Watts Riots in LA.

In his native Louisiana he was the in the first group of Black Students to
integrate a prominent University in the early 60's.... his prized Oldsmobile was torched to the ground
and thereafter he was run of campus. However, he never held a grudge or
blamed any of us in other ethnic groups as individuals despite his dreams all being shattered.
The keys on my Computer are getting too wet for me to write any more right now.

"GTX John" Irving
Vice President
LA Street Racers

05-20-2012, 07:37 AM	#1
GTX JOHN VIP Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Boulder City, Nevada 89005 Posts: 2,720 Likes: 2,770 Liked 2,435 Times in 688 Posts	"Big Willie" Robinson passes away With a heavy heart I need to tell everyone that my Friend/Hero/Mentor: "Big Willie" Robinson has passed away. He has been in bad health this year and struggling with complications from Diabetes. Many of you know him as the President of The Los Angeles Street Racers and I have had, as Vice President and a Southern California Organizer of the club, the great pleasure of his company since 1964 or 1965...........Truly an era (at least in our automotive history in LA ) has passed! He kept many of us off the street though starting the Brotherhood Raceway Track in the Los Angeles Harbor area. Although Willie loved Drag Racing, he often told me that in many ways the racing was just..... a "Gimmick" in his perspective. If you looked at our colors, you would see a patch on the right sleeve that has an American Flag and the inscription "New Breed of Brotherhood" above it. Willie saw the racing as a "Gimmick" to bring a diverse group of different ethnic groups together to interact as friends. Fifty years ago that was often a very difficult task, particularly around Los Angeles in that turbulent time around the Watts Riots in LA. In his native Louisiana he was the in the first group of Black Students to integrate a prominent University in the early 60's.... his prized Oldsmobile was torched to the ground and thereafter he was run of campus. However, he never held a grudge or blamed any of us in other ethnic groups as individuals despite his dreams all being shattered. The keys on my Computer are getting too wet for me to write any more right now. "GTX John" Irving Vice President LA Street Racers Last edited by GTX JOHN; 05-20-2012 at 08:00 AM.