Muhammad Ali Research Paper

Ben Cook Professor Ward HIST 201 30 March 2024 Muhammad Ali: The Greatest “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee!” This timeless quote was coined by none other than Muhammad Ali. While this phrase alludes to the strategy and fighting style of Ali in the ring, it’s also been used countless times throughout pop culture and the sporting world, showing just how great his influence has become. However, who is Muhammad Ali? Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. grew up in a Christian family in the suburbs of Louisville, Kentucky, where he discovered a love for boxing as a young boy. Sticking to this passion, Ali became the most well-known fighter in history, receiving a gold medal in the 1960 Rome Olympics, being named World Heavyweight Champion between

Despite the feeling of belonging that was expressed to him by America, Ali quickly discovered that he wouldn’t be treated equally amongst white people despite his status, achievements, and accolades. In the text, he depicted his first encounter with segregation when he visited a white-only restaurant for the first time. As he walked up to the counter to order his food, the black waitress informed him that he couldn’t eat there. Trying to reason with her, he pulled out his medal as evidence of his identity, but the white owner saw him and quickly yelled at him to leave. Ali was quickly overcome by the hypocrisy of the situation. He had “brought back an Olympic Gold Medal for all the people” and “fought for the glory of [his] country” but couldn’t eat as a black American citizen at a restaurant that was serving foreigners (67). Upon understanding that his accomplishments for the country were essentially worthless in the eyes of many people, he walked to the bridge over the Ohio River and tossed his Olympic medal over the

While thinking back on one of his few losses in the ring, Ali stated, “As for me, I know no fighter can survive if he feels sorry for himself when he’s defeated. When I accept a fight, I accept the consequences. I do everything to make the fight come out my way, but if I’m defeated I have to get up and come back again, no matter how humiliating the loss” (27). This mindset was the key to making Ali the greatest boxer of all time, however, maybe more important was the way that it allowed him to overcome injustice and help support a movement that would ultimately bring equality to the lives of every minority in America. Muhammad Ali’s determination toward his lifelong goals and his genuine authenticity to his beliefs became the ultimate blueprint of success in both his career and in society. By using this blueprint in our lives, we may channel the courage we need to navigate and direct our paths, but we must remember not to become discouraged when we are knocked down, not to take no for an answer, and to fight endlessly for our cause, just as Ali