Ali campaigned for equal rights. Being a house hold name, he had the media eating out of his hand.
I generally keep away from black / white questions - Colour should never be an issue.
However, part of history will forever link Ali to his relentless campaigning, against the discrimination being dealt out to the ethnic minorities.
Truth be known.... Ali could often be a bit near the bone in his comments towards Joe Fraizer... It was hard to dislike him though, he was a born entertainer, he captured whatever audience he was playing to.
Muhammad Ali raised the morale and self-dignity of the blacks not only in the USA but also in Africa which he considered as his roots despite the fact that he also have some Irish blood.
Growing up in Louisville, he had seen how his fellow Afro-Americans were treated by the whites and the white-dominated authorities. Therefore as early as his teens, he tried to do something about it. After winning the Olympic light heavyweight gold in Rome, he dared getting served at a whites only resto but was turned away. In disgust and as a sign of protest, he threw his olympic medal into the river. That made news.
Later, after winning the world heavyweight title by beating a white protege Sonny Liston, he adopted the Muslim faith and changed his name to Muhammad Ali eschewing his slave name, And among the first thing he did after becoming world champion was to visit Africa.
He added a new dimension to the blacks fight for equality and fair treatment by refusing to be drafted in the then already unpopular and regarded as immoral war ( even by white activists ) in Vietnam saying that white America was treating the blacks worst than its enemies and that he had no quarrel with them Congs. That made very big news.
As the gkobe's biggest, most successful, popular and familiar athlete and cultural icon of his time, Ali raised the profile of the black people prompting a profound change on how the whites and other peoples of the world started to view and regard them.
in a sense, Ali, among other black luminaries helped install Obama to the highest seat in the US government.
ALi is the first true black boxer superstar....That alone change everything....That alone shows how talented black people can be if given a chance....
Roscoe O dont like ali because his uncle died in vietnam while ali did not go to vietnam....He did not realize that his uncle is a bum,nothing, and ali is the greatest...Why the hell would you want the greatest to go to vietnam and die? retard mthfcker....
He didn't and don't believe anyone that tells you any different.
@EddieF- Ali did no such thing. Even if he wanted to, being a Nation of Islam publicity tool he wouldn't have been allowed. Why? Because the organization's leader had ZERO desire to become involved in the civil rights movement or politics for reasons to lengthy to explain in this format. Ali was a great fighter, but it's a disservice to all those that worked or financially supported the fight to affect positive change in the U.S.A. and provide the template for others to follow to this day.
@Teodore- Outside of Ali being from Louisville and throwing his medal into a river, who told you everything else? Perhaps instead of repeating condescending falsehoods you should take the time and learn about the Civil Rights Era in the U.S. If you're interested, I would be willing help start you on that path.
My responses aren't intended to be personal attacks, I simply can't stand for important periods in my nation's history to be not given the decency of historical accuracy.
@Novice-Do you even know where Louisville is on a map? Now you three responding, who have no idea about what you're talking about, let me know that I made a mistake. This is a clown show question so one of you can boost your meaningless rating and it was a waste of time for me to answer.
He taught them to be proud of their race, to believe in themselves and their abilities and to speak up and express themselves.
How did he change the way black people were treated? Please be specific
