[Music] not only do you enjoy the camaraderie of
not only do you enjoy the camaraderie of
not only do you enjoy the camaraderie of it but you make long-time friendships we
it but you make long-time friendships we
it but you make long-time friendships we know the family we know the friend we
know the family we know the friend we
know the family we know the friend we know what they do and how they travel in
know what they do and how they travel in
know what they do and how they travel in life when people say we go by and check
life when people say we go by and check
life when people say we go by and check on it when people go to jail we checked
on it when people go to jail we checked
on it when people go to jail we checked on no other places this place is
on no other places this place is
on no other places this place is absolutely necessary for our live
absolutely necessary for our live
absolutely necessary for our live situation and carry on the traditions
situation and carry on the traditions
situation and carry on the traditions that brought us through the rough back
that brought us through the rough back
that brought us through the rough back [Music]
I’m tell Roberts and I came to DC in
I’m tell Roberts and I came to DC in 1953 I’ve been playing checkers all of
1953 I’ve been playing checkers all of
1953 I’ve been playing checkers all of my life at eight or nine years old I
my life at eight or nine years old I
my life at eight or nine years old I hated everything in life I hated school
hated everything in life I hated school
hated everything in life I hated school I hated everybody I couldn’t read I
I hated everybody I couldn’t read I
I hated everybody I couldn’t read I couldn’t write but when I got on the
couldn’t write but when I got on the
couldn’t write but when I got on the checkerboard I could see that if I moved
checkerboard I could see that if I moved
checkerboard I could see that if I moved in moved yeah I’d get an advantage on it
in moved yeah I’d get an advantage on it
in moved yeah I’d get an advantage on it and when I learned how to play checkers
and when I learned how to play checkers
and when I learned how to play checkers I learned how to communicate so I went
I learned how to communicate so I went
I learned how to communicate so I went from a dunce to a halfway decent person
from a dunce to a halfway decent person
from a dunce to a halfway decent person and so check has changed my life anybody
and so check has changed my life anybody
and so check has changed my life anybody playing this game it will change your
playing this game it will change your
playing this game it will change your life also and checkers brings about a
life also and checkers brings about a
life also and checkers brings about a camaraderie that you will never find
camaraderie that you will never find
camaraderie that you will never find anywhere in life again
anywhere in life again
anywhere in life again [Music]
[Music]
[Music] [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
my name is Kurdish brothers who call me
my name is Kurdish brothers who call me hard rock where summer holidays Chuck a
hard rock where summer holidays Chuck a
hard rock where summer holidays Chuck a player that you can Ella me I’m Robert
player that you can Ella me I’m Robert
player that you can Ella me I’m Robert Mac now I’m the z-man you coach the
Mac now I’m the z-man you coach the
Mac now I’m the z-man you coach the coach they know the pain he means what
coach they know the pain he means what
coach they know the pain he means what they call mr. Mackey’s name Donald
they call mr. Mackey’s name Donald
they call mr. Mackey’s name Donald Cunningham better known as a pressure
Cunningham better known as a pressure
Cunningham better known as a pressure man I do not have a nickname yet I like
man I do not have a nickname yet I like
man I do not have a nickname yet I like to think that I’m waiting until I get
to think that I’m waiting until I get
to think that I’m waiting until I get good enough that way it’s a actually a
good enough that way it’s a actually a
good enough that way it’s a actually a good nickname it doesn’t become just an
good nickname it doesn’t become just an
good nickname it doesn’t become just an insult something like that
insult something like that
insult something like that he’s a friend of man but on the boys he
he’s a friend of man but on the boys he
he’s a friend of man but on the boys he wants to be me there and of course he
wants to be me there and of course he
wants to be me there and of course he gets lucky every now and then we got
gets lucky every now and then we got
gets lucky every now and then we got some free good checker players here then
some free good checker players here then
some free good checker players here then we got some hands I lost one game today
we got some hands I lost one game today
we got some hands I lost one game today and the honor is not lost because I fell
and the honor is not lost because I fell
and the honor is not lost because I fell sorrowful I could I could have just been
sorrowful I could I could have just been
sorrowful I could I could have just been undefeated and hands won’t see they good
undefeated and hands won’t see they good
undefeated and hands won’t see they good but ham is just ham
but ham is just ham
but ham is just ham you know sometimes and had to call 9-1-1
you know sometimes and had to call 9-1-1
you know sometimes and had to call 9-1-1 cuz that’s up thanke he’s nothing man
cuz that’s up thanke he’s nothing man
cuz that’s up thanke he’s nothing man you know you know you could get you eat
you know you know you could get you eat
you know you know you could get you eat it and let it go and that’s choice
it and let it go and that’s choice
it and let it go and that’s choice that’s the old show yeah
here like themselves I think I joined
here like themselves I think I joined this club a bit about about maybe 15 15
this club a bit about about maybe 15 15
this club a bit about about maybe 15 15 years ago I’ve been in the checker Club
years ago I’ve been in the checker Club
years ago I’ve been in the checker Club for I don’t know 20 years you know I’ve
for I don’t know 20 years you know I’ve
for I don’t know 20 years you know I’ve definitely learned a lot over the last
definitely learned a lot over the last
definitely learned a lot over the last year when I first came in there was no
year when I first came in there was no
year when I first came in there was no way I was gonna win a game and now if
way I was gonna win a game and now if
way I was gonna win a game and now if it’s a good day then yeah I can win
it’s a good day then yeah I can win
it’s a good day then yeah I can win sometimes and if it’s a bad day you know
sometimes and if it’s a bad day you know
sometimes and if it’s a bad day you know I’ll get laughed out of here but I’d
I’ll get laughed out of here but I’d
I’ll get laughed out of here but I’d never found a community like this around
never found a community like this around
never found a community like this around a specific game and so I’ve really
a specific game and so I’ve really
a specific game and so I’ve really enjoyed not just the game but the people
enjoyed not just the game but the people
enjoyed not just the game but the people who come together to play it it’s also a
who come together to play it it’s also a
who come together to play it it’s also a community that I think should be
community that I think should be
community that I think should be prioritised that we keep these
prioritised that we keep these
prioritised that we keep these institutions alive and in DC in a city
institutions alive and in DC in a city
institutions alive and in DC in a city that’s rapidly kind of gentrifying and
that’s rapidly kind of gentrifying and
that’s rapidly kind of gentrifying and becoming much richer that we don’t lose
becoming much richer that we don’t lose
becoming much richer that we don’t lose out on all the kind of historical and
out on all the kind of historical and
out on all the kind of historical and cultural heritage that we’ve built not
cultural heritage that we’ve built not
cultural heritage that we’ve built not only gentrification is coming in but
only gentrification is coming in but
only gentrification is coming in but modernization is coming in and unless
modernization is coming in and unless
modernization is coming in and unless there’s a dramatic change at some point
there’s a dramatic change at some point
there’s a dramatic change at some point in time there will not be a checkers
in time there will not be a checkers
in time there will not be a checkers Club in Washington DC so it is
Club in Washington DC so it is
Club in Washington DC so it is ultimately it is primarily important
ultimately it is primarily important
ultimately it is primarily important that we keep this game going and we keep
that we keep this game going and we keep
that we keep this game going and we keep our place right here in the nation’s
our place right here in the nation’s
our place right here in the nation’s capital
capital
capital such that we can carry on the tradition
such that we can carry on the tradition
such that we can carry on the tradition that has taken us throughout the life
well listen this song is a a spirited
well listen this song is a a spirited moment thing now the one song that comes
moment thing now the one song that comes
moment thing now the one song that comes into my mind is the is the Oh Smokey Joe
into my mind is the is the Oh Smokey Joe
into my mind is the is the Oh Smokey Joe smokey on top of old smokey all covered
smokey on top of old smokey all covered
smokey on top of old smokey all covered with snow I left my heart into a dough
with snow I left my heart into a dough
with snow I left my heart into a dough hook nobody wants to hear that song so
hook nobody wants to hear that song so
hook nobody wants to hear that song so [Music]
[Music]
[Music] yeah I sing it at I ring the bell or you
yeah I sing it at I ring the bell or you
yeah I sing it at I ring the bell or you see that bill over here that’s it just a
see that bill over here that’s it just a
see that bill over here that’s it just a bill that we we ring ring – bill are you
bill that we we ring ring – bill are you
bill that we we ring ring – bill are you checking with manual dexterity like a
checking with manual dexterity like a
checking with manual dexterity like a surgeon uses his scalpel
surgeon uses his scalpel
surgeon uses his scalpel I do magical thing of checkup or hey I
I do magical thing of checkup or hey I
I do magical thing of checkup or hey I got a nickname my nickname is the razor
got a nickname my nickname is the razor
got a nickname my nickname is the razor [Music]
”
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