THE EARLIER YEARS

 

Evand J. Birkett, Jr. was born November 27, 1947, in the Glenville area of Cleveland, Ohio.  He attended Doan and Oliver Wendell Holmes elementary schools; graduated from Empire Jr. High School in 1963; ​Attended East Technical High School, transferred and graduated from Glenville High School, January Class of 1966.

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During his younger years, Evand competed in all of the various sports, Football, Baseball and Basketball. The majority of his sports career was under the athletic program of the Cleveland Academes, coached by Mr. King Thompson, who he considers a second father in his life to this very day.

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After graduation, Evand moved to Chicago and became educated in the religion of Islam where he became JaMaaL Malik Ali-Bey.

 

The following year he was drafted in the Armed Forces of the United States Army where he trained as a Special Forces Operative with the 173rd. Airborne Rangers.

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After his tour of duty was completed, JaMaaL came back to Cleveland where he was recruited by then, the Ohio Bell Telephone company where he worked as a Telephone Installer/Repairman. During this time, JaMaaL also played Semi-Pro Football.

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After several years with Ohio Bell, JaMaaL took the job with the City of Cleveland under the direction of the new City Mayor, Michael White as Recreation Center Manager of The Cory Recreation Center in the Glenville area.  He was later promoted to Manager of Recreation, where he oversaw the operations of all recreation centers in the City of Cleveland.

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Following a change in management around 1995, JaMaaL had the responsibility of overseeing Special Programs. During this period, he started the very first urban youth golf program in the nation, The City of Cleveland's “HOOK-A-KID ON GOLF PROGRAM”.  This program took youths from all over the city to participate in the sport of golf. It was free to the children of Cleveland. Youth were transported to city golf courses and taught the fundamentals of golf and other life skills. One of his first female instructors at this time, was Renee Powell, who was the manager at Seneca Golf Course.

 

This program brought about access to scholarships to minority and well-known colleges for urban youth who might not have had the chance to attend.

 

It was during this time that JaMaaL became interested in the sport of golf.  He played once a week with a 9-Hole City League at the Highland Hills golf course.  In order to play more with other black golfers, he started the CaddyShacker’s Golf League of Cleveland, Ohio.

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