i go through life and i speak to different people and young people and when they don't know who arthur ashe is and they think it's just a stadium, ashe stadium, i'm like, "okay." and i realize that a lot of people really never knew the man arthur ashe. and i had that privilege, and i wanted to tell that story, as well as tell the story of my predecessor naomi sims, who was the reason why i wore my hair pulled back, the reason why i went in to the wig and hair-extension business, the reason why i went in to the makeup business -- because she was so extraordinary -- beautiful but also extraordinarily gracious. >> yeah. she was truly -- and that's one of the things that i found interesting in the book, is that you made it a point of saying that about ms. sims. and you talked about the relationship you had with other models at the time that were, i would say, less than gracious. >> yes. it was a reality show. if there had been a reality show at that moment, you know, it was, you know, those kind of interactions that people think that goes on -- you know, the kind of catfighting that went on --

how did you become acquainted with arthur ashe? >> i used to chase him off the tennis court. he was a little boy that i was older, and his father was what you would call the security officer at the tennis court, and a swimming pool. and when we would go overcome the older guys, to play tennis, arthur would be there with his racket. his racket was a policy was at e time. get out of the way, what are you doing? and so that's when i first met him. became fairly for me with him when he started winning and family around her, people that knew him, and ronald was very helpful in working with them. doctor whirlwind johnson up in lynchburg sacrificed much. so arthur and i became very close, start talking about. came down your to sponsor the measure for me to run for lieutenant governor. and he called me shortly before that he was diagnosed with hiv and he said, i want to call you and tell you because the press is going to break it and it's all wrong. i had a blood transfusion, because he had a bad heart. his mother had a terrible heart and almost died from it in childbirth. he said as

i first interviewed him in the year 2000 at arthur ashe kids' dasiy at the u.s. open. he had the talent back there as