BOXING: JAMAL JAMES GIVES BACK TO MNPLS COMMUNITY WITH FOOD DRIVE

Newly crowned welterweight boxing champion Jamal “Shango” James of Minneapolis is back in the gym for his next big battle – the fight to rebuild his south Minneapolis community.

James, working in the same space where he honed his pugilistic skills to become a world champion, is leading a neighborhood food drive in the vicinity of the Circle of Discipline, 1201 E. Lake St., his longtime training headquarters and boxing home. 

The Minneapolis boxer put out a call to action on social media last work to rally support for his cause and encourage others to get in his corner. The goal is to collect as many grocery items as possible and deliver the food to people in need. 

This is the second food drive led by James since COVID 19 and the civil unrest following the death of George Floyd. The first drive yielded thousands of pounds of packed food. Volunteers delivered 3,500 bags of groceries for the elderly, families and anyone who swung by to ask for help.

James believes he has a responsibility to give back and help rebuild the community that put him on the road to a world title. He wants to bring people together to build a better tomorrow and the food drive is part of that.

“One of our main principles is that you have to give back and make positive change within yourself, within your family and within your community,” James said. “When I was a young kid, I looked up to a lot of older guys in the gym, and they took the time out to teach me not only how to box and train, but life lessons that I was able to utilize as I grew. And that kept me on a more progressive and positive path.

“I vowed to myself to use the success that I get from boxing and to use that platform in order to make a positive change not only within myself and family, but within my community. You need that now, especially in these times.”

“What I want to do is use my platform to be able to bring awareness to some of the movements that I feel deeply about that are going on right now, to come up with a positive solution for the problems that these movements are facing. I would like to be known as not just somebody who could fight and won the title, but also somebody who stood on his beliefs, and took the time to make a positive change outside of the ring in this community.”

“We were always taught that you lead by example. So if these young men and women that I work with at the Circle, if they see me doing this, and as they get older and as they get to a certain position in their life, hopefully what I did will inspire them to do the same if not more,” James said. 

What: Fundraiser and food drive in South Minneapolis

When: Friday 5pm to 8pm, Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sunday noon to 5pm, Aug. 21-23  

Where: Circle of Discipline, 1201 E. Lake St., Minneapolis

Why: To help rebuild and give back to the South Minneapolis community

Jamal James, 32, won the WBA interim welterweight boxing championship on Aug. 8 in Los Angeles with a unanimous decision over former world title challenger Thomas Dulorme.

The son of a single parent, who is a certified AAU boxing referee, James began going to the Circle of Discipline gym at age 5. He’s trained by longtime mentor Sankara Frazier and Adonis Frazier.

Born and raised in south Minneapolis, James embarked on a successful amateur boxing career as a youth and turned pro in 2010. He was won 27 of his 28 professional bouts, including a string of recent wins at the historic Minneapolis Armory.

The Circle of Discipline, at 1201 E. Lake St. in Minneapolis, provides youth and young adults with alternative programs and enrichment activities that address their physical, emotional, mental and spiritual needs.