Muhammad Ali “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” was known to be the life motto for Muhammad Ali. Muhammad Ali was not only known for being a professional American boxer, but also an athlete, a social activist, and a philanthropist. In his lifetime, he was named the World’s Heavyweight Champion three time. Ali was debatably the greatest boxer who ever lived. Being the only black boxer at the time made him have a tough life. Ali today is not only recognized for the skills he demonstrated in the ring but for what he represented outside of the ring such as having religious freedom, equality and justices. Muhammad Ali was not always acknowledged by that name, but as Cassius Marcellus Clay born on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Kentucky. He grew up in household that did not have much. His youth was influenced by discrimination and a segregated society. When Clay was twelve years old, he got his bike stolen. Which led him to boxing, under the coaching of a policeman at the local gym. Ali was not like other boxers, he had an extremely unconventional way of boxing for a heavyweight, represented by his slogan “Float like a butterfly,
Due to his religious beliefs, Ali took what many people believed to be a controversial stand in refusing to enter into the United States Army for the Vietnam War. His refusal caused him to be sentenced in prison for five years. That cost him the title of the world heavyweight champion, the chance to partake in any boxing match anywhere, and the loss of his passport. I think that was the most vital moment in Ali’s career. It was a way of him breaking the idea that African Americans were expected to be submissive in American culture. It was his way of saying I can do whatever I want. That in my opinion is where people started to love and admire him he stood up for what he believed
What they did not know was the self proclaimed greatest in the world was planning the one of the greatest changes in his life. Behind the scenes Cassius was studying Islam, he became good friends with Malcolm X and studied under Elijah Muhammad. Cassius took the name Muhammad Ali, saying he did not want to be called by a slave name any longer. He took Muhammed from the first prophet of Islam with the name meaning worthy of being praised, and the last name Ali which meaning is to be elevated. During a time where racial tensions were high people had a hard time accepting his new name. Often times the media would continue to call him Cassius, one didn't famed ABC sports reporter Howard Cosell, he respected Ali, because he too had changed his name from Cohen a Jewish name to Cosell, because in those time it was also a disadvantage to be Jewish. In 1965 Ai was scheduled to fight Floyd Patterson, who insisted on calling him Cassius, Patterson paid a big price for that, there is documentary footage which shows Ali giving Patterson the beating of a lifetime, making sure not to knock him out taking him through all 12 rounds repeating “now what’s my name
The first reason Muhammad Ali isn't a hero is because he is violent. For almost all of his life he fought in boxing matches that all started when he was a boy because he wanted to beat up the kid who stole his bike. For 14 years, on-and-off, he was heavyweight champion and before that a lightweight champion. To do this, you had to have the rage to hurt your opponent. Muhammad Ali even said, “I believe in the eye-for- an-eye business, I got no respect for a man who won’t hit back. You kill my dog, you better hide your cat” (Myers 36). Now, in his 60’s,...
history in the 1950's and 1960's by hitting the society. Ali was a great boxer who was very confident in his boxing game. Ali wanted to make a change in society by trying to get rid of the racial discrimination in America. Ali was also against the war in Vietnam. Ali said “Unless you have a very good reason to kill, war is wrong.” Ali sent messages of hope to the African American community by telling them to have pride. Ali said “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 while so called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs?” Ali said “The Vietnamese had nothing against him” (Schwartz).When he was drafted to fight in the war, a lieutenant called Ali by his real name, Cassius Clay, and he said, “Sir that isn't my name, my name is “MUHAMMAD ALI!” Ali said, again “Sir that is a slave name my name is “MUHAMMAD ALI” (Muhammad Ali [HH:MM:SS]). After that, Ali refused to serve in the Vietnam War. This lead Ali to the Supreme Court, and he was five years in imprisonment. Ali was precluded from the athletic commissions for fighting in the United States for three and a half years. Even though Ali was released from his five year sentence, he still had a jail sentence of four years, which was overturned by the Supreme Court (Schwartz). Ali was also stripped of the heavyweight boxing title because he refused to serve in the draft Following his suspension, Ali reclaimed
Ali proved to be a strong-willed individual that did leave a huge impact on America, but what impact had increased as time continued and his faults have been somewhat forgotten. Those believing that Muhammad was more of a hero than Jackie Robinson most likely feel that Ali’s action of standing up against the United States government, when he was drafted, was an act of courage and bravery. The main reason why Ali didn 't wish to go to war in Vietnam was because he believed he shouldn 't be fighting for a country that ultimately didn 't support his own people within its own borders. Ali has developed into a figure of courage after the time that his happened. In the 1960s when this originally happened, Ali had more enemies as a result of his religious and social views and ideas than fans. Today we see that what he did may be considered heroic, but back when it actually occurred, Ali was seen as a nuisance to America. He was spreading word and influencing people to act against their own country in a time of war. Since Muhammad Ali’s retirement from boxing the course of time has faded criticism of Ali and left mostly just the positive parts of his life and career. As a society we’ve buried the controversial side of Ali’s existence in our minds and history simply remembers his greatness as an athlete. Robinson had an impact on
Muhammad Ali was known to be the world’s greatest boxer of all time. Ali was raised in a Baptist home, but due to being discriminated against because he was an African American, he joined the Nation of Islam with other African Americans and converted to being an Orthodox Muslim. Ali went through a lot of hatred against him before and during his career as a boxer. It is truly incredible that due to the fact that his bike was stolen by someone when Ali was twelve, that he started boxing six days a week and creating a very successful boxing career. Mohammad Ali was twelve years old when his bike was stolen at the Columbia Auditorium.
At first, Muhammad Ali had no intension of boxing. After his bike was stolen, in the month of October 1954, when he was twelve, his whole life was set. Upon finding out that there was a police officer in the basement of a gym, Ali went down to the officer in a shocked state of mind demanding a "state wide bike hunt" for hsi stolen bicycle. But all the cop told him to do was to learn to fight. and that
With his conversion to Islam he changed his name from the “slave name” Cassius Clay to the “free name” Muhammad Ali (Muhammad Ali - Cassius Clay). As Muhammad Ali, he grew less conceited and more devoted to benefitting society. He used his role as an active minister in the church of Islam to avoid the draft into the Vietnam War, claiming that it was against his religion (Muhammad Ali interview on not joining army). He has also acted as a primary beneficiary of the Nation of Islam, as he financed the building of Masjid al-Faati, a mosque in Chicago, and the educational resources for many students of Islam in America and on an international level (“Muhammad Ali - Cassius Clay”). The funds from Muhammad Ali were used to make America both a more peaceful and accepting society, while his fame in the nation was used to limit the prejudice faced by Muslims in
Muhammad Ali is an example of an athlete who used politics in sports to advocate for the Civil Rights movement and protest the war. As an Olympic gold medalist, heavy weight titlist, and many other victories, he used the fame for humanitarian efforts. Ali refused to serve in Vietnam due to his religion and as a result, he was stripped of his 1967 title. He retired in 1981 with an incredible 59 wins and five losses, but he will always known as symbol of courage, will power and strength, not for his career milestones, but for breaking racial barriers.
Muhammad Ali, whose birth name was Cassius Marcellus Clay, was born in Louisville, Kentucky January 17, 1942. He was named for a white, Kentucky abolitionist, Cassius M. Clay, and received the name Marcellus from his father’s name. Ali’s father, Marcellus Clay was a mural painter who did a lot of work for many churches in the community and his mother Odessa (Grady) Clay was a domestic worker. As a young boy, Cassius Clay was full of energy and carried a loud mouth wherever he went. One day when Ali discovered that someone stole his bicycle, he became enraged and made loud threatening comments by exclaiming that he would “whup whoever stole it.” Upon hearing these threats, Louisville police officer Joe Martin persuaded Ali to take out his frustration in the boxing ring rather than on the dangerous streets of Louisville. At age 12, Ali’s boxing career had officially begun.
Muhammed Ali is a man who needs no introduction, besides being former heavyweight champion of the world and regarded as the greatest boxer of all time to some he was also a leader to many. Even playing a role in civil rights he is one of the most diverse and effective leaders in recent history. He was subject to judgement politically, socially, and even religiously but he never backed down from a fight and he was someone of his time to be looked up to. The man, the myth, the legend will never be forgotten and this is why. Ali was relentless and he would never give up in or outside of the ring and this is part of what made him effective as a leader.
Boxer Muhammad Ali, was born as Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., on January 17, 1942, he was the son of Marcellus Clay Sr. and Odessa Grady Clay. He lived in Louisville, Kentucky where he experienced discrimination and racial prejudice towards himself and his family, which led him to his fascination towards boxing. Later in his life, he would win the Olympic gold medal for boxing in 1960 and became the world heavyweight boxing champion in 1964, and was the first fighter to recapture heavyweight champion three times. But Clay was not only a boxer, he was also a philanthropist and social activist with astonishing effrontery, he spoke out against problems such as race, religion, and politics that cause him to become such a controversial figure.
Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. later known as Muhammad Ali, was a black boxer, and was proud of it. Many African Americans were ashamed of their color, but Ali was different. He was the first boxer to win the Heavyweight Championship 3 different times. He had a great personality and was liked by the people. During his life, he made big decisions that changed the course of his life completely. Muhammad Ali's journey through life was a great inspiration for African American people, but Ali himself deserves the admiration of everyone.
His bold public persona described or showed what was happening in Clay's personal life. However, Clay did some soul searching and he decided to join the Nation of Islam, in 1964. The Nation of Islam was a black Muslim group. Clay went with the name Cassius X, but he later changed his name again to Muhammad Ali. Two years later, he picked a fight that did
Hauser, Thomas. "The Importance of Muhammad Ali." The Glider Lehrman Institute of American History, n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.
Muhammad Ali is an example of an athlete who voiced his political ideologies in sports to advocate for the Civil Rights Movement and protest the War. As an Olympic gold medalist, heavy weight titlist, and many other victories, he used the fame to project his humanitarian efforts. Ali refused to serve in Vietnam due to his religion and as a result, he was stripped of his 1967 title . He retired in 1981 with an incredible 59 wins and five losses, but he will always known as symbol of courage, will power and strength, not for his career milestones, but for breaking racia...