K. Ali Ellington was born in Long Beach and raised in Carson California. He was introduced to the game of chess by his dad, Rue. An avid chess player, the elder Ellington sought to encourage critical thinking in his seven year old son and to lay a foundation for advanced decision making.

Ali was the youngest boy in a neighborhood peppered with gang affiliates~. While wanting the best for his son, his dad prepared Ali for the worst. So, Rue sought less to raise a chess master, than to raise a “life” master. There were early indications that Rue’s chess infused nurturing was bearing fruit. By the 4th grade, Ali found himself confronted with overwhelming challenges, including relentless peer pressure to “box.” On at least one occasion, rather than capitulate to the pugilistic pressure, Ali cleverly managed to shift the fascination of his adversary from exchanging punches on his front lawn with exchanging pieces in his living room on the chess board ~. This did more than just level the playing field; it eventually shifted the values to some degree in the neighborhood in Ali’s favor.

Out of sheer necessity he became a proficient chess instructor even then. On one particular occasion Ali cleverly tutored his former tormentor through the fundamentals of chess, helping him grasp the concept of the game (in one sitting) that they might immediately engage in what Ali would eventually label, “Battle of the Minds Competitions.
Ali found the discipline and fun of the game served to temper the juvenile swagger of some, making them better neighbors as well as friends~. Clearly, critical thinking and decision making had found a foothold in young Ellington’s life.

Graduating from high school at the age of 17, Ali began to engage in the college and club scene which contributed toward him falling into several social distractions. Like many young men his age, the intriguing club and dating scene was the dominant influence of the day. Being cool was the goal and Ali aimed to be cooler than most to his own detriment. Ambitious and unrestrained, Ali was heading in the wrong direction in many areas of his life. Though his parents instilled in him the values to know right from wrong and provided him the tools to reason the way, yet in the face of the broad road of malfeasance and the pressures and temptations of young adulthood where freewill is fully realized, it wasn’t enough. Hence, what was lacking surfaced and bore the fruit of immorality, even using profanity as part of his daily vocabulary. Interestingly, before long sincere and concerned people began to appear in Ali’s life that would impart wisdom, leading Ali to become ashamed of how far he had drifted from that which he inwardly knew was right. They helped remind him how every move he was making had consequences. With their help, Ali was introduced to what was missing in his foundation, CHRIST. After having several close calls with death, Ali came to grasp the universal principle that we truly reap what we sow. It was during this time that Ali was invited to BIBLE Study and prayer, and before long Ali began reading and pursuing a purposeful life.

One of the concerned people was Neisha, the love of his life. By the time Ali was 19, they got married and moved in a small two bedroom apartment. Many well intentioned loved ones objected to Ali marrying so young, fearing that neither of these newlyweds fully understood the responsibilities their marriage would entail. Nevertheless, Ali with his hands full attending community college, working at UPS and vigorously pursuing a career in acting was hopeful that all would work out. In fact, Ali’s natural charm and well-honed performance skills quickly earned him a manager and a promising audition or two. There just weren’t enough hours in the day for this newly wed.

While he dreamed of success on the big screen, he found his critical thinking skills sorely tested by the opportunities as well as the challenges of every day life. In moments of solitude, he still found himself pondering a desire for clarity regarding the direction he ought to go in with his career path. Nothing would symbolize that more than when Ali came face to face with an acting opportunity of a lifetime. After an audition or two, a couple promising introductions, and a bunch of extra roles, Ali had seemingly performed his way up on to a short list for a major role in a potentially groundbreaking urban drama. The filmmakers were so high on Ali that the audition literally seemed to come down to Ali’s willingness to succumb and fully embody the role of the urban character. Ali could not have felt the weight of this moment more. This was more than an opportunity to star in a film. This was more than an opportunity to provide a comfortable life style for him and his wife. It was even more than an opportunity to inspire people while doing something he really enjoyed. At last, Ali might silence those well intentioned critics who had questioned Ali and Neisha’s readiness for marriage.

However, his final audition was running into a snag. Despite the producers’ apparent excitement over Ali’s performance, they were nonetheless having him read the same script sections over again. The problem was, Ali — critical thinker that he is—was cleverly replacing every profane word in his lines with what he felt was an acceptable substitute. So, with each reading, the producers’ enthusiasm may spring anew, only to be dashed by Ali’s substitutions. To Ali, portraying a character who swore at all—let alone as liberally as was written—would be an affront to all of his newfound values. He did not feel he could embody those values while speaking those words. The contradiction would prove catastrophic for young Ali. For the first time, he was having to choose between his dreams and his values. To be true to the spirit of their rugged urban drama, the producers needed Ali to fully embrace the gritty nature of the role and to make peace with the profane words in the script. To their dismay, Ali decided to remain true to his values…Ali knew that making a living as an actor would be tough enough without allowing for principles that could further diminish his prospects~. After all, he was now a godly married young man with responsibilities. And this experience had catastrophically revealed the contradictions inherent in his chosen profession. Reasoning that life must have another role for him to play, Ali sadly abandoned his dreams of life on the big screen.