Muhammad Ali- The Greatest, Inside and Outside the Ring

“...a hero is someone who rises above his or her fears and limitations to achieve something extraordinary ... a hero embodies what we believe is best in ourselves" (Fingeroth qtd. in Fleming). In his essay, James Fleming reviews Daniel Fingeroth’s book Superman on the Couch: What Superheroes Really Tell Us About Ourselves and Our Society, which provides the argument that a hero is one who embodies the ideology of society. As Americans, our selection of people we admire suggests that society is starting to assess individuals on physical traits over mental strength. Yet, those who are truly heroic are the ones who demonstrate the peak of human behavior and possess the most mental strength; they not only think for themselves, but also attempt to amend the problems that encircle them; they are the ones who have the strongest moral values and always behave in accordance with them. An act of heroism may be as minor to society as a middle school student refusing to take drugs despite peer pressure, or it may be as significant as a scientist dedicating his entire life to cancer research. A true hero whom society admires ought to always have the integrity to act ethically, and a hero must also have courage and never allow judgment from others influence their actions.

Muhammad Ali fights Sonny Listonhttps://www.ebay.com/itm/CASSIUS-CLAY-vs-SONNY-LISTON-8X10-PHOTO-BOXING-PICTURE-MUHAMMAD-ALI-CLAY-DUCKS-/182738624109Muhammad Ali is one such person who possesses this integrity and courage. Ali was born on January 17, 1942, as Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., in middle-class Louisville, Kentucky. When he was twelve years old, Clay started boxing under policeman Joe Martin and trainer Fred Stoner. “Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee” supplies a perfect description of his boxing style: continuously circling his opponent, constantly shifting to avoid being hit, but also delivering a stream of punches at opponents’ heads with the force of a heavyweight. At a young age, he recognized his prowess in the boxing ring and understood that boxing held an opportunity for unprecedented wealth and power, so the gym and boxing ring became a major part of his life. His dedication and perseverance paid off, and he won a gold medal in the 1960 Olympics before turning professional. Immediately, Clay faced adversity. His unique style of fighting drew doubt  from sports writers and other boxers, and he was also constantly criticized for his image outside the ring; he never stopped talking, so he was given the nickname “The Louisville Lip.” Nevertheless, he beat Sonny Liston in 1964 and was crowned the world heavyweight champion. Despite these achievements, he was still unable to dine at restaurants in his hometown because of his race. Clay saw the injustice in American society and because he believed in the separatist message that the Black Muslims preached, he converted to the Nation of Islam where he adopted his new name, Muhammad Ali. During the Vietnam War in 1967, he was drafted into the army. However, in spite of losing the peak years of his boxing career, losing thousands of dollars, being stripped of his boxing license and title, being charged with draft evasion, and facing the plausibility of serving five years in prison, the war did not align with his religious and moral values, so he refused to enlist. Later, in 1971, the Supreme Court unanimously overturned his jail sentence, and he reclaimed his title three and a half years later. In 1984, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, but he did not allow it to stop his philanthropic efforts. In 2016, Ali died in Scottsdale, Arizona, after a decade-long battle with Parkinson's. Muhammad Ali’s willingness to face public disapproval in order to stay true to his values and his courage to challenge racial stereotypes earns him the title of a true hero.

Ali speaks outhttp://bigfishpresentations.com/2016/06/27/three-powerful-speeches-muhammad-ali-moved-world/Instead of obediently following social expectations like other renowned boxers, Ali had the courage to defy the cultural precedent that pressured him to conform to stereotypes. Joe Louis, known as the first “good black” fighter, sharply contrasted Ali. Louis followed the advice of his handlers and alienate white America, and his behavior was then replicated by many other boxers who followed. Ali, on the other had, disregarded public opinion and declared his involvement with the Nation of Islam after winning the heavyweight title: “I believe in Allah and in peace. I don’t try to move into white neighborhoods. I don’t want to marry a white woman. I was baptized when I was twelve, but I didn’t know what I was doing. I’m not a Christian anymore. I know where I’m going and I know the truth, and I don’t have to be what you want me to be. I’m free to be what I want” (Ali qtd by Remnick 207). By saying he doesn’t want to move to white neighborhoods or marry white women, Ali emphasized how he deviated from the standard behavior of other famous black fighters, and that he did not need to obtain those status symbols. Furthermore, abandoning Christianity for Islam attracted negative attention and many considered him a disgrace to the sport of boxing (Remnick 275-276).  Ali showed heroism outside the ring with his refusal to bow to the prescribed role the public wanted him to play, and his courage and strength were further exhibited when he still refused to submit to his opposers’ ridicule. In trying to regain his heavyweight title, Ali also showed courage by realizing: “...True, fighting was all that I had ever done, but there was always something in me that rebelled against it. Maybe it was because those who profited most from it didn’t think of fighters as humans or intelligent...I was slowly changing. Boxing was behind me. I wanted to be known as a freedom fighter...”(Ali 247-248). By saying that boxing was behind him and realizing how unjust boxing really was, Ali shows how he used the setback to reevaluate his purpose and identity, and decided he could still fight, but outside the ring. Instead of only thinking of his own success, he saw the bigger picture and realized that just being a great boxer did not benefit his community. Most of his contemporary African-American athletes, in fear of disapproval from the white public, usually had other people talk for them outside the boxing ring (Remnick 275-276). Ali, however, was not afraid to resist the current; he used his fame to advance the principles he believed in, attacking discrimination against the African American community. His success in the ring led to immeasurable amounts of wealth and power, yet while most individuals see their wealth and power as a reward for their success, he saw his power as an opportunity to benefit others in society. To have strong moral values does not make one a hero. Courage to follow through on one’s moral values, even when it is unpopular, is the key that elevates a person’s status from normal to heroic. Ali’s displayed his heroic qualities when he severed the normalized image of a boxer by having the courage to act based on his own principles and to use boxing as a platform to advocate for causes he believed in, and in doing so, he improved the lives of those around him.   

Ali evades the drafthttps://wearechange.org/muhammad-ali-refuses-fight-vietnam-1967/In addition, Ali was a man of great integrity and was willing to sacrifice all he had in order to abide by his beliefs, even when facing public disapproval, which also makes worthy of the title hero. When Ali was drafted in 1967 for the Vietnam War, he refused to serve because: “Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go ten thousand miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people in Vietnam while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs?... I have nothing to lose by standing up and following my beliefs.” ( Remnick 289). Ali saw no significance in joining the war because it did not agree with his moral values. Why should he aid a government that hardly recognized the humanity of its own people? Ali’s strong moral values and integrity are displayed when he understands the immorality of the Vietnam War. What makes him a hero, in this case, is that even when faced with the prospect of losing nearly everything he had, he did not allow it to sway his decision. When Ali was asked about his decision to evade the draft, he described how the war was against his principles: “I’m giving up my title, my wealth, maybe my future. Many great men have been tested for their religious beliefs. If I pass this test, I’ll come out stronger than ever” (Gale). Saying “If I pass this test, I’ll come out stronger than ever” illustrates how Ali believed that strength comes from a strong moral consciousness, rather than wealth or power. Even when he was offered a less strenuous and dangerous role in the war, he realized that doing what was right was more important than anything, so he was still willing to sacrifice his riches and authority in order to not serve in the war, which proves that he did not protest for personal benefit or safety, but because of his strong morality. He demonstrates heroism because he saw the ordeal as a strengthening one, not debilitating. This is the difference between heroes and normal people-they see and use their difficulties as opportunities to improve themselves and others. Ali should be considered a hero because of his strong ideology and unwillingness to allow the public’s opinions to interfere with his moral values, while also using difficulties as strengthening experiences.

Ali is heroic because he displayed two ideals that society embodies: courage and integrity. Strong moral values are not what made Ali a hero. Ali adhered to his moral values despite how the public perceived him, which is an example of his courage that deemed him a hero. Ali did not attempt to pursue the consent of the white public by conforming to a set standard of behaviors. He, instead, decided to use his power from boxing as a platform to advocate for his beliefs. In addition, Ali refusing to serve in the Vietnam War, because it was contrary to his faiths, not only shows his strong integrity, but also provided an inspiration for society: “”It’s hard now to relay the emotion of that time,” said Sonia Sanchez, the poet and civil rights activist. “This was still a time when hardly any well-known people were resisting the draft. It was a war that was disproportionately killing young black brothers, and here was this beautiful, funny, poetical young man standing up and saying no! Imagine it for a moment! The heavyweight champion, a magical man, taking his fight out of the ring and into the area of politics, and standing firm. The message that sent!” (Remnick 290). It was not Ali’s success in the ring that made him “The Greatest”; it was Ali’s impact outside the ring that earned him the title. While many people saw the injustice and hypocrisy of the war, Ali was alone to act and resist the draft. He teaches us to not be ashamed of our own ideals and faiths. Rather, we should embody the ideals we believe are the best of us. He also saw how his actions affected the African American community and realized that taking his fight out of the ring would benefit them the most. Like him, we should always work to improve and advance the communities we live in. Ali’s legacy motivates me to rely on my moral judgment to determine the integrity of my actions instead of allowing outside pressure to influence my decisions. A true hero does what is morally right no matter how others perceive him, but that is only possible when a person goes within to find out who he is before taking that power and conviction into the world.

Work Cited

Ali, Muhammad, and Richard Durham. The Greatest, My Own Story. Graymalkin Media, 2015.

"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 5 Apr. 2018.

Remnick, David. King of the World. Random House, 1998.