Muhammad Ali
Cassius Clay was just a boxer. A boxer who captured the hearts of Americans while winning the 1960’s Olympic gold. Here was a young man at the age of 18, representing the greatest nation on the planet and making his people proud. He would again gain the fascination of America with his defeat of the anti-hero of the time Sonny Liston. However, this hero famed across mainstream America would not last, all it would take was a man finding himself. Introducing Muhammed Ali, another boxer. However, just a boxer was not simple enough. This man who used to be called Cassius Clay, now embodied the radical change that was beginning to creep it’s way into American society. This Ali rejected what he called his “slave name” and
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Cassius Clay symbolizes the young naïve man who is yet to understands his surroundings. True, Clay understood the concept of segregation being raised in the southern city of Louisville, but he didn’t really immerse himself in ridding of it. The events of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King didn’t really strike young Clay. The real shocker of what was really going on in America at the time involved the terrible event that happened in Money, Mississippi Aug. 1955.# This is the event which really brought the concept home to Clay. The incident involved a young black named Emmett Till. Emmett was from Chicago and was sent to visit family down south in Mississippi. While there he flirted with a white women, the women’s husband caught word and later found Till and brutally murdered the young boy. The crime was publicly shown along with the trial. However, even though the men who murdered Till were obviously guilty, the men were acquitted and set free. Young Clay really felt an impact from the case. “I felt a deep kinship to him when I learned he was born the same year and day I was”, Ali would later write.# Ali would write later about what he did when he was a boy to get back at those that failed Till. Essentially it was his first real protest against the establishment or so he wrote. What he did is symbolic because it was him and his friends throwing rocks at a poster of Uncle Sam and his famous words of “Uncle
Muhammad Ali was a great boxer he was born January 17, 1942. He won the heavy weight champion he also went to jail because he did not want to service for his country so he was put in jail for five years. The reason why Muhammad Ali started to fight was because some stole his bike and Ali went to the police and the police told him that he needs to know how to fight so he started to train Ali and at 12 he knew that he had to fight. Muhammad won his first fight in 1954. In 1956 Ali to go win the golden gloves. Ali fought for the heavy weight a British champion. In 1963 Ali knocked out Sonny Liston and in 1964 became the heavy weight champion.
Above all, Muhammad Ali stood up for what he believed in. As a matter of fact, Muhammad stood up against the Vietnam War. The New York Daily News insinuates that, “why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negros
Muhammad Ali was a boxer because of his prominent role as a Civil Rights Activist. He stood up for what he believed
During his life, Ali was forced to make some tough decisions, and always made them his own way. At the time of Ali's fighting, the United States were involved in the Vietnam War. As a result, young Americans were been drafted to serve in the military. When political figures saw Ali fighting, they decided to stop the hurting of our own and draft him, so he hurts the people in Vietnam. Ali was not pleased with this decision, because ha had just won the Heavyweight Championship and because he said, "I ain't got no quarrel with them Vietcong"(Hauser 144). His final decision on the issue was that he would not go to war. He was not willing to go and kill people, while his own are in bad conditions at home. In the same way, he was forced to decide if he wanted to become a billionaire and sell his people, or to become poor and not sell his people (185). For this rebel action, his Heavyweight Title was taken away and he was put in jail. This did not matter to him because he h!ad followed his beliefs and obeyed
Muhammad Ali once said, "Hating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn't matter which color does the hating. It's just plain wrong.” Muhammad Ali stood for the common black man, so did Jackie Robinson. Both of these men were professional athletes, two different sports, baseball and boxing, were changed forever because of these men. They both broke segregation barriers not only in their profession but also outside the field and ring. Both these men had some similarities but overall had more differences whether it was their profession, who they were influenced by, or their involvement with war.
Cassius Clay, now known as Muhammad Ali, stated, “If I thought going to war would bring freedom, justice, and equality to the 22 million African Americans they wouldn't have to draft me, I would join tomorrow (Dellinger)” It is clear in this quote that Ali wanted nothing more than to avoid war unless it meant something important to him. At that time in history there was a lot going on in the world, and one of those things was Muhammad Ali refusing to go to the draft. Cassius Clay (now known as Muhammad Ali), an African American boxing champion who lived most of his young life during the Civil Rights movement, refused to join the
Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. or commonly known as Muhammad Ali, Was one of the greatest boxers who ever lived. Ali thrived in a world that was run by whites. Ali figured out at a young age that he is going to face a lot of problems in his life. Ali inspired people of all races to keep persevering through life and to help others. Not only was Muhammad Ali a revolutionary fighter he was also a revolutionary political figure. Ali was an enormous influence on the way America is today, by fighting battles inside and outside of the ring.
Handsome, weight champion, muslim, freely spoken, racial rights leaders, all exemplifies the powerful Muhammad Ali. A man whose story has a positive impact on americans lives today and back during the civil rights movement. “Muhammed Ali: The World’s Champion” by John Tessitore is an autobiography that is written to tell all the obstacles of Muhammed Ali. The adventures annals of Muhammed Ali begins from growing up and discovering that boxing was his outlet from racism, to dropping out of school, to becoming muslim, also being the voice of the public people, to lastly being coming one of the most known African American Boxing world champion. Thousands world wide then and now see Muhammad Ali as an tragic hero due to his resistance of entering the war, going to jail, and returning back to the ring even more powerful than before.
Clay’s fighting technique was far different than that of the other heavyweights at the time, he moved quickly and refused to set in a position. At the time this was seen as almost cowardly – he couldn’t handle a punch and his hits were soft blows. This philosophy all changed after Clay decided to fight the World Champion at the time, Sonny Liston. Cassius Clay somehow pulled off one of the greatest upsets in boxing history by defeating Liston in the seventh round. Afterword’s his name was changed to Muhammad Ali. Muhammad means “worthy of all praise” while Ali means “most high”. Muhammad Ali’s name wasn’t the only aspect that people used to deify him. Boxer’s became fascinated with his legendary footwork and tried to imitate Ali’s boxing style. Boxer’s across the world today still center their training techniques on Muhammad
Throughout history there have been many influential people who have lived in this country. Some were politicians, some were actors, and some were even athletes. One such man was a gifted boxer named Muhammad Ali. He made his mark as an amateur, then as a professional. "The Greatest" was the self-proclaimed nickname of Ali, but so many people agreed that it stuck. He went through trials and tribulations in his life, which make him a historic icon. Muhammad Ali is known for being "The Greatest" boxer of all time, but unlike other athletes he is remembered for his out of the ring actions as well as his athletic accomplishments.
Muhammad Ali had an outstanding record of 56 wins, 5 loses, and had 37 knockouts even to some opponents treat people thought he would never beat like the big bear AKA Sunny Liston.
Muhammad Ali was an American boxer and activist. He was born in Kentucky on 17 January 1967, and died on 3 June 2016. Muhammad Ali started taking boxing lessons after his bicycle was stolen when he was 12 years old. At the age of 18, he won the gold medal in the light heavyweight division. He won three world-cup heavyweight championships. He fought sixty-one times and only lost five times. He followed that dream for 30 years, and became one of the greatest boxers of all time, and Muhammad Ali was active in the civil rights movement in many ways. For instance, in the civil rights movement, Muhammad Ali changed his name because he thought that Cassius Clay was a “Slave name,” and he changed his name to Muhammad Ali. In 1960, shortly after winning the heavy weight title, he changed his religion, and converted to Islam. Muhammad Ali joined other leaders in the civil rights movement, such as Malcolm X and Martin Luther King to help in the Black Community. Muhammad Ali fought for what he believed in and impacted the civil rights movement such as changed his name, religion, drafted into the Vietnam war and he tried to make the black community equal to the white
Muhammad Ali did a lot of important things in American History. He was a famous boxer also a arch believer of religious freedom and racial justice. Ali’s original name was Cassius Clay. He was born January 17,1942 in Louisville, KY. Muhammad Ali devoted his life to humanitarian in work, putting his name to many initiatives for peace and humanitarian aid. Ali was also a part of Black History.
Cassius clay, one of the world’s most distinguished boxers, was born in Louisville, Kentucky on January 7, 1942. Clays work ethic was apparent even in the early years of his life. As a child, he raced the school bus to school each morning. His friends would wave to him as the lead fluctuated based on the school bus’ stops. This work ethic extended to the classroom. Because of a learning disability, Clay had to work extra hard in school to not fall behind. Clay grew up with racial segregation all around him. These injustices sparked a passion in him to change the way people viewed African Americans: “I wanted to show that color didn’t matter”(Muhammad Ali: An American Legend). Clay’s boxing career began because of an incident when he was 12 years old. He and a friend rode their bikes to the Columbia Auditorium for The Louisville Home Show. When they were ready to go home, Clay discovered that his bike was stolen. Filled with rage, Clay wanted to retaliate. He found police officer, Joe Martin, who told him, “You better learn how to fight before you start challenging people that you’re gonna whoop” (Hauser 18). Martin became his coach, and although Clay never found the thief, he found a love of boxing that would continue throughout his life. Between the ages of 12 and 18, Clay
Ali shows exceptional character development throughout the film because of his actual development as both a human being as well as a professional boxer. In the beginning of the film, he is still under the name Cassius Clay prior to his debut in the championship ring. He wins his debut as becomes a heavyweight champion. This championship beings Clay’s development as a character. Soon after his championship, Clay meets with an Islamic leader. At this meeting, he gave Clay the name Muhammad Ali. Clay