Muhammad Ali

By Marcel Duvivier

The Early Years

• He was born Cassius Clay in Louisville, Kentucky where he grew up and started to box.

• He became a Golden Gloves winner when he was 17 and took home a gold medal in the Olympics the year after.

Racism

• When he got back from the Olympics, he went into a Louisville pub, but was denied service on account of his skin color. He was so infuriated that he went to a nearby bridge, and threw his gold medal into the river.

Strong Beliefs

• In 1964 after some soul-searching, he decided to convert to Islam. This made some of his fans very mad, but he did not care.

• When the Vietnam war started, he started a much bigger fight when he refused to be drafted saying, “I ain’t got no quarrel with the Vietcong”.

Banned

• During the war, Ali was banned from the ring, but he spent his time well.

• He toured the country speaking at colleges about his beliefs and his life story. He would also do this at draft protests.

Good Natured

• On one occasion, he received a call from someone claiming to be a wealthy Pakistani dignitary saying that he wanted to talk in person. It turned out that it was really a poor man with a small house that wanted to introduce Ali to his daughter.

• Where many people would have stormed out, Ali stayed and entertained them like they really were royalty.

Ali Now

• Muhammad Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1984, but that did not stop him from being active in the world. He founded a center for Parkinson’s treatment in Phoenix, Arizona, and a center to inspire the youth in his hometown. He has traveled to many countries helping those in need, and received the title of United Nations Messenger of Peace for his efforts.

Philanthropy

• Ali became an avid philanthropist after his diagnosis, supporting the Special Olympics, Make a Wish Foundation, and other organizations. He has been the host of Celebrity Fight Night since it’s beginning, and raised millions of dollars for charity as a result.