Muhammad Ali

Throwing an Olympic gold medal in a river, getting sentenced to five years in prison, and getting the heavyweight title stripped from him: Muhammad Ali went through all of these hardships to prove that what he believed in was right. Ali started boxing when he got his bike stolen and wanted to stand up for himself against bullies. Ali was a three-time world heavyweight champion, and accomplished this task from hard work and dedication. Ali always stood firm in his beliefs and he was extremely against racism. He stood firm on his beliefs no matter how much it cost him. Ali was an African American professional boxer who won the heavyweight title three times. He grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, and trained at a boxing gym in his hometown, and that's where it all began. Muhammad Ali's goal was always to inspire African American men and to use their voice in politics for good. Muhammad Ali risked the loss of his boxing career at his prime to support his views against racism, and he inspires many young African American men to stand up for their race.

Ali was extremely hardworking because he started boxing at the age of twelve and won the heavyweight title three times in his professional boxing career. Ali worked extremely hard in his amateur career and earned an Olympic gold medal. He later went on to become a great boxer: “Widely regarded as the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali first achieved international fame at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, when he won a gold medal in the light-heavyweight division as a member of the U.S. boxing team. Ali won his first professional heavyweight title in 1964 and later regained the world championship twice more over the next decade and a half” (Contemporary Black Biography). This quote shows that Ali was hardworking because he started boxing at the age of twelve and was still considered one of the greatest boxers of all time. Ali won an Olympic gold medal for boxing, and just four years later he went on to win his first title fight. Ali had a special talent at boxing that not every person had. “Muhammad Ali (1942-2016) was an American former heavyweight champion boxer and one of the greatest sporting figures of the 20th century. An Olympic gold medalist and the first fighter to capture the heavyweight title three times, Ali won 56 times in his 21-year professional career” (“Muhammad Ali.” History.com). Ali started boxing at 12, when most boxers start boxing at younger ages, and he was still named one of the greatest sporting figures of the 20th century. He accomplished this by working hard in the gym, and he stayed focused on his goal of becoming world champion.

Getting interviewedSee page for author [CC BY-SA 3.0 nl (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/nl/deed.en)]Sentenced to five years in prison, losing the heavyweight title at your prime, and throwing an Olympic gold medal in a river: Muhammad Ali did all of this just to stand firm in his beliefs on racism and politics. “Ali won an Olympic gold medal in 1960 and later tossed it into a river because he was disgusted by racism in the United States” (Contemporary Black Biography). Many people wish that they could earn a Gold medal, and Ali threw it in a river. Through this action, Muhammad Ali showed how much against racism he was and how much of an effect it had on him. He won that medal in Italy and he came back proud of it. He went to a restaurant and they refused to serve him because he was African American. This affected him because after going out and winning a Gold medal for his country, they refused to serve him in a restaurant because of his skin color. When he got drafted, Ali refused to serve in the war due to his political and religious views. This resulted in him getting sentenced to five years in prison and losing his heavyweight title at his prime. Ali went through all of this just to show people that he will always stand firm on his beliefs. “I went to downtown Louisville to a five-and-dime store that had a soda fountain. I sat down at the counter to order a burger and soda pop. The waitress looked at me.... 'sorry, we don't serve coloreds,' she said” (Contemporary Black Biography). Muhammad Ali was denied service at a restaurant because of the color of his skin. After this event took place, Ali threw his Gold medal in the river because he didn't want to represent a country that didn't respect him.

Muhammad Ali was willing to sacrifice so much just to prove his points and stand firm on what he believed in. What started out as Ali trying to stand up for himself against bullies turned into him becoming one of the greatest boxers to ever step in the boxing ring. Yes, he was talented, but without his hard work and dedication to boxing he wouldn't be the person that we all know him as today. Boxing is what got Ali recognized on the world stage, but what he decided to do with that fame is the reason why so many people look up to him. Ali always did what was right no matter what it cost him, whether that be his freedom or his Olympic Gold medal. “Ali’s outspokenness on issues of race, religion and politics made him a controversial figure during his career, and the heavyweight's quotes and taunts were as quick as his fists. Born Cassius Clay Jr., Ali changed his name in 1964 after joining the Nation of Islam. Citing his religious beliefs, he refused military induction and was stripped of his heavyweight championship and banned from boxing for three years during the prime of his career. Parkinson’s syndrome severely impaired Ali’s motor skills and speech, but he remained active as a humanitarian and goodwill ambassador”. This quote shows that Ali is inspiring, because he understood that he had a strong voice and that people would listen to him, so he spoke up about issues of race and politics. By doing these actions like not fighting in the war because of his religious and political beliefs, he inspired others to speak up about their beliefs. I chose Muhammad Ali to be my hero, because I feel like not many people admire the things that he did to fight against racism and politics. In Ali's lifetime, racism was a big issue and the government did not do anything to stop racism, so he took matters into his own hands. Not many people would sacrifice their freedom, lose their heavyweight title, and throw their Gold medal in a river to support their beliefs.

Works Cited

"Muhammad Ali." Contemporary Black Biography, vol. 52, Gale, 2006. Biography In Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1606003283/BIC?u=powa9245&sid=BIC&xid=f9d0750c. Accessed 24 Mar. 2019.

"Muhammad Ali." Gale Student Resources in Context, Gale, 2018. Student Resources In Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/DUSZAG314666303/SUIC?u=powa9245&sid=SUIC&xid=6947f74b. Accessed 24 Mar. 2019.

"Muhammad Ali." Contemporary Black Biography, vol. 136, Gale, 2017. Biography In Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1606007747/BIC?u=powa9245&sid=BIC&xid=d7465551. Accessed 26 Mar. 2019.

Editors, History.com. “Muhammad Ali.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 16 Dec. 2009, www.history.com/topics/black-history/muhammad-ali.