Muhammad Ali Research Paper

As Cassius Clay, he was just an African American from Kentucky. But as Muhammad Ali, he became so much more. Cassius Clay grew up in the 1940’s and 1950’s, during the time of the Jim Crow south. Segregation was still an influential part of life for Americans. Ali questioned the segregation he saw around him. “The grocery man is white, the bus driver is white, what do colored people do? (Remnick 87).” He understood that his neighborhood was a safe place for him, while the white neighborhoods were not. The color line had been broken in baseball by Jackie Robinson. Joe Louis had proven a successful African American boxer only a decade before. However, boxing was still a predominantly white sport. Clay’s became interested in boxing because he

In 1967, he was stripped of his heavyweight champion title. The United States was at war in Vietnam, and Ali refused to be indicted. He was convicted of draft evasion and sentenced to five years in jail, along with a fine of $10,000. Ali used his religion to defend his actions “But I either have to obey the laws of the land or the laws of Allah,” (Remnick, 290). One poet and activist, Sonia Sanchez, acknowledged Ali’s actions in a heroic manner, “The heavyweight champion, a magical man, taking his fight out of the ring and into the arena of politics, and standing firm. The message that sent!” (Remnick, 290). That was the moment when Ali became more than just a boxer. He became a symbol for young Americans, particularly African Americans. His case went all the way to the Supreme Court, where he was

He was first famous as a boxer, then as a boxer with strong political views. During his time, he often drew reactions from Americans. Ali did not fit the mold of what America believed a proper black man should be- then again, he never tried to be anything other than what he was. The color line still existed in boxing when he became a star. Joe Louis had not completely broken it over a decade before Ali’s time. Ali broke the color line and became one of America’s greatest athletes of the twentieth century. He earned the heavyweight champion title, only to have it taken away because of his political actions. Though the Supreme Court ruled in his favor, it still took Ali years to earn is title back. After boxing, Ali took on a new journey- spreading his faith. He traveled back to Africa, where he used his fame from boxing to help spread his belief in the Islamic religion and peace. Muhammad Ali was not as easy for people to like as athletes such as Joe Louis and Jackie Robinson were, but he too played a major role in breaking down the barriers colored people faced in the twentieth century. He was more than just a boxer- he went from Cassius Clay, to Cassius X, then to Muhammad Ali, and finally to King of the