Muhammad Ali Research Paper

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The time period of the 1960’s was full of protestors. People all around the country, especially down South, were fed up with how African Americans were treated day in and day out. They were treated like the garbage that you find on the side of a street. They had no control over their lives and how they wanted to spend their time. People started to get fed up that slavery still hadn't been completely abolished. Although there were many protesters, it was a rare to ever see a professional sports player ever speak out on behalf of the issue. This was until arguably the most prominent athlete in sports history stood up for what he believed in. This man’s name was Muhammad Ali. For the most part, people remember Muhammad Ali as this stud boxer who …show more content…

We saw the youngest president in United States history, John F. Kennedy, get assassinated while driving through Texas in a convertible. Additionally, Nobel Peace Prize winner Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated for speaking out for equality for all races. There were many more events and people that contributed to the political and social unrest as well. Muhammad Ali fit right in. He was a trailblazer in both sports and social justice. Initially known as Cassius Clay, Ali captured the imagination of the USA by winning gold in the olympics. Then quickly after that he bursted upon the boxing scene and immediately became as iconic as people like Joe Namath and groups like the Beatles. Early in this boxing career, he defeated Sonny Liston, the overwhelming favorite, for the heavyweight boxing title. After that he was seemingly on top of the world. He made an impact on the 60’s in the ring but he is more well known for his impact out of the ring. He represented hope for the African Americans. If Muhammad Ali, one of the best boxers in the world, could speak out of social injustice then they could as well. Everyone looked up to him. Ali was a person that messaged to never conform to anything you do not believe in. Another way that he impacted the 1960’s was by changing his name. His original name was Cassius Clay, but when he decided to become a muslim he switched his name to what we know him as: Muhammad Ali. This became …show more content…

He was an icon. The greatest boxer of all time. Although Ali was this phenom boxer, that was not necessarily what he was known for. He represented some many different things. He was role model to basically all of America throughout the 60’s. He was someone that showed that you could accomplish anything you could put your mind to. He was the ultimate risk taker. Up until this time Black Americans were relegated to the sidelines and punished for speaking their minds but he did not care. He listened to his conscience and went on with his protesting. No matter what the circumstance happened to be, he stayed true to what he believed was the right thing to do. The life lessons that come with studying Muhammad Ali and his life both as a boxer and protester are invaluable. Ali was critical part of crazy decade of the 60’s. Many controversial events took place and Ali was always right there in the middle of it. The 60’s are none for people taking their stand and protesting; they were all backing up Muhammad Ali. Ali was a symbol of hope and was as perfect as a role model as you can get. He didn’t look to leverage his fame for any special treatment rather he used his fame to point out injustice and inspire the people around him to do the same. All of these things are why it is so crucial to study him in American history. After Ali did what he did all throughout the 60’s

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