Chess Coach/Motivational Speaker Orrin Hudson Speaks again!
Orrin Hudson’s interest in chess was sparked by a high school teacher who noticed him running with the wrong crowd in his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. Hudson eventually staightened out so much he wound up becoming a state trooper. After six years on the force, he was drawn by the lure of a more lucrative career dealing used cars. Then, in May of 2000, Hudson watched a news story about a shooting in Flushing, N.Y. in which seven people were gunned down (five were killed) for less than $2,000 in a Wendy’s restaurant. Hudson decided to reach out to troubled and disadvantaged kids the only way he knew how, by showing them the value in making the right moves on a chess board — as it applies to life. Hudson sold the car business and started the non-profit organization Be Someone. In his eight years, Hudson has lectured 20,000 kids. His goal is to reach a million. Mark Strassmann told Hudson’s story, then Hudson came to our set with youngsters from East Harlem’s Union Settlement, a community center that was to have its first chess tournament that night.
