Amid racial strife, Big Willie Robinson sought to forge peace, one street race at a time

In 1960s Los Angeles, after the catastrophic Watts riots, a legendary figure emerged — one who found an unexpected way to unite people across race and class.

Odds are you’ve never heard of him.

Big Willie Robinson was a 6-foot-6, muscle-bound street racer who preached peace a quarter-mile at a time. Cops and criminals, movie stars and miscreants, even Crips and Bloods — out at the drag strip, Big Willie could get them all to see eye to eye.

His street diplomacy eased racial tensions and united L.A. But what caused Big Willie to fade into obscurity?