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the life of muhammad ali essay
the life of muhammad ali essay
the life of muhammad ali essay
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In the summer of 1960, a young man stood on a podium wearing a gold medal around his neck, while the “Star Spangled Banner” played. A champion stood, not knowing the nation’s view on athletes forever. It was the first glimpse for the man who would come to be known as the greatest.
Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. was born in Louisville, Kentucky on January 17, 1942. Young Clay found boxing in 1954 after his bike was stolen at the Louisville Home Show. He reported the theft to local police officer, Joe Martin, and told him he would beat up whoever stole the bike. Martin laughed at the idea of such a small boy beating someone up, so he decided to train Clay. Martin, who also taught boxing to local youth at the Columbia Gym, taught the 89-pound Clay how to box during his teenage years. From that day on, Clay would show up every day at the gym like clockwork working on his skills.
By 1958, Clay had dropped out of high school with several amateur boxing titles, and by 1960, he was preparing to compete in the Olympics. In the gold-medal match for the light-heavyweight division, Clay faced Polish southpaw Zbigniew Pietrzykowski, and won the gold in three rounds. After the Olympics, Clay received a contract from the Louisville Sponsoring Group for $333 a month, plus a $10,000 signing bonus.
With no more money problems to worry about, Clay had more time to consider what was going on in the world around him. He paid heavy attention to the Civil Rights Movement and he wanted to be part of it. But it was very difficult for a young black man to be heard in the early 1960’s. The only group giving a voice to the “common man” was the Nation of Islam. In 1962, Clay drove to Detroit to hear the Nation of Islam’s leader, the honorable Elijah Muhammad, speak. He also met someone who would greatly influence his life, a man named Malcolm X.
Clay studied X’s teachings of Islam, but more so, Clay agreed with X’s view on how blacks were treated in the United States. Both Clay and X believed in complete in total segregation between blacks and whites living in America. “I’m no troublemaker. I don’t believe in forced integration. I know where I belong. I’m not going to force myself into anybody’s house.” Clay also advocated X’s criticism on the non-violent movement in the southern states.
Joe Louis was born and raised in Detroit Michigan. Although throughout his life he lived in many places including Las Vegas and Chicago, he still always considered Detroit home.
Malcome X once said “Clay is the finest Negro athlete I have ever know, the man who will mean more to his people than any athlete before him. He is more than Jackie Robinson was, because Robinson is the white man’s hero.” While Jackie Robinson and Cassius Clay were seen as two different, opposing sides of the Civil Rights Movement, they each used their spotlight and fame as athletes in the public eye to make their political stance during this time. Malcolm X makes a bold statement with his ideas, but Jackie Robinson made just as much if not more of a political statement that impacted America during this time even more than Muhammad Ali. Branch Rickey’s great experiment, Jackie Robinson
This was a time when blacks were being discriminated against, the military was segregated, blacks were not allowed to play Major League Baseball. When he started boxing early in the 1930's hero worship was not achievable in any professional sports, there were none that were able to command the attention away from whites, however that would all change. Joe Louis began his boxing career at the Brewster Recreation Center. In his first amateur bout, Louis was knocked down 7 times, but he rapidly improved over the years, he captured the 1934 National AAU Lightweight Crown and turned to the professional level later in that same year. Louis won his first 27 fights, 23 of them by knockout, beating people of fame like Primo Carnera and Max Baer. His first defeat was against Max Scheming at Yankee Stadium, he was knocked out in the 12th round. This was Louis greatest defeat, and the start of his greatest challenge.
William Harrison Dempsey, better known as Jack Dempsey, was born on June 24, 1895. He was born in Colorado but became a “nomadic traveler” when he began his boxing career in the small rickety towns of his home state (“Biography”). At the age of sixteen, Dempsey started training to box. To support himself and his dream, he dug ditches, picked peaches, traveled with the circus, and cut timber (“Fast Facts”). When he started his career as a boxer he fought under the name “Kid Blackie” (“Biography”). He won the heavy weight championship by knocking out Jess Willard in 1919 (Smith). He kept this title until September 23, 1926 (“Fast Facts”). By the time he retired his record was 60-7-8. Fifty of his sixty wins were knockouts (“Biography”). Dempsey died on May 31, 1983 at the age of
This book is actually about all of these things but much, much more. Rather than write a biography, David Remnick has given us a moment in time. King of the World covers three years in the life of Clay/Ali, but more importantly it covers the political climate in the United States, including the belief system held by the majority of the public regarding African Americans during the mid 1960s.
Jack Johnson began boxing at a young age. He was known for his unique boxing techniques and quickly worked up the ranks until he beat all those who challenged him. Throughout this period he challenged whoever was the World Heavyweight Champion of that time. Each champion denied Jack's requests, stating they would not fight a black man (Film).
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.
The story of how young Cassius Marcellus Clay wound up in boxing has been told time and time again. It reads as if it a movie script. However, this story is better than fiction. Clay was born on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Ky. Growing up, Clay understood his place in the framework of the country he was a black child of the middle class. But Toni Morrison, who worked on Ali's autobiography as a young editor, noted that was not the best situation in which to be raised. Because not only was he middle class, "but black middle class, black southern middle class, which is not white middle class at all." (1)
He was first gained interest in boxing by Louisville police officer and boxing coach Joe E. Martin, who meet the 12-year-old over a thief taking his bicycle. He explained to the officer that he was going to "whup" the thief. The officer suggested that he learn how to box first. Chuck Bodak had trained Cassius for the last four years of his amateur career. He came out with amazing talent starting off. Cassius won six Kentucky Golden Gloves titles, two national Golden Gloves titles, an Amateur Athletic Union National Title, and the Light Heavyweight gold medal. Cassius's amateur record was 100 wins with five losses. This was an outstanding record for someone that young.
Have you ever heard “float like a butterfly! Sting like a bee! Rumble young man, rumble!” That famous line was said by the one and only Muhammad Ali. Muhammad Ali was arguably the best boxer in the 1960s and 1970s. But before the fame he was just another kid Louisville kid with big dreams. Cassius Clay was born in Louisville on January 17, 1942. Louisville was one of the segregated states in the south. Life growing up was difficult because getting jobs and doing a lot of other simple tasks such as getting food were difficult for blacks. Muhammad Ali taught us to stand up for ourselves when we feel mistreated.
The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley is about the hard life of an African American man who was very powerful. This book helps people to see the things that Malcolm X contributed to the black community, the Civil Rights Movement, and to the United States. The book begins with Malcolm’s birth in 1925 and ends with his death in 1965. The overall theme is that people who are being oppressed should come together and fight for their freedom, equality, and their basic human right. Malcolm X was determined to be a voice and he dedicated most of his life to the struggle to free oppressed black people in America.
When prominent boxers of the 20th century are discussed, many heavyweight champions are mentioned. Names like Floyd Patterson, Sonny Liston and Joe Frazier always find their way to the front of the conversation. But it is Muhammad Ali, a three-time heavyweight champion and political activist, who always seems to find the forefront of it all. Born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. on January 17, 1942, Ali came into the ring after his bike was stolen at the age of twelve. He brought up his anger to Officer Joe Elsby Martin Sr. who suggested he start boxing. Ali quickly became a star after winning a gold medal at the 1960 Olympics. At 6’3”, Ali demonstrated extraordinary speed and accuracy and he quickly became a contender for the heavyweight title.
In the beginning of his career, he stood at 6' 3" and he had a highly irregular style for a heavyweight boxer btu that didn't mean he wasn't good. Rather than the normal boxing style of carrying the hands high to defend the face, he instead relied on his ability to avoid a punch. The person who first introduced him to boxing was the police officer who started it all. Joe E. Martin. Martin lead Clay to his first trainer, Fred Stoner, who trained with Cassius during his entire amateur career. With the aid of Stoner, Clay went on to win 6 Kentucky Golden Gloves titles, 2 national Golden Gloves titles, an Amateur Athletic Union National Title, and the Light Heavyweight gold medal in the 1960 Olympics in Rome.
Martin started Ali working out in Louisville’s Columbia Gym, and Ali became passionately devoted to the sport. With the help of a black trainer named Fred Stoner, who taught Ali the techniques of boxing and to move with the grace of a dancer, Ali became a very skilled and deadly competitor. Between 1955 and 1960, Ali had participated in 108 bouts, in which he won six Kentucky Golden Glove titles, two National Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) championships, two National Golden Glove crowns, and received the Gold Medal in the light heavyweight division in the 1960 Summer Olympics held in Rome, Italy. Ali was only 18 years old when he won the Olympic Gold Medal by defeating Zbigniew Pietrzykowski, a tough fighter from Poland.
Cassius Clay Jr. or known to many people as ‘Muhammad Ali’ was born in Louisville, KY on January 17th , 1942 He was the first Heavyweight Boxer to win the Heavyweight title three times, his professional career lasted about twenty one years, in that time he won a total of fifty six fights. Most people do not know Cassius changed his name to ‘Muhammad Ali’ because of his religion, History.com staff.(2-4) Muhammad Ali’s early career before becoming a professional boxer, how he worked his way to become the Heavyweight Champion of the World, him converting his religion to Islam and his life after boxing.