Ali was never a Civil Rights leader or participant and it was athletes active in civil rights that came to his defense, not the other way around. Matter of fact the Nation of Islam didn't allow such activities even if he wanted to.

Ali's relevance today is based in large part of him becoming the symbolic icon of the draft dodging/deferment class that began to take over leadership positions in the country during the 80's.

He was indeed a cultural icon but he was no racist, in fact he was victim of racism from his childhood. Trash talking is a fairly new term. He was no trash talker as we know it today, he was a poet. There's not only rhyme but truth to what he said even against his fellow Afro-American.

Louis and Johnson were no match to Ali in term of impact. Louis and Johnson never touched the lives of the poor and oppressed Third World nations in their heydays the way Ali did. Ali preaches fraternity., equality and peace among the peoples of the world to this day. Louis was poster boy for American fight versus Hitler as much as for democracy as for racial supremacy of the Anglo-Saxons over the Aryans. Johnson fought for his privilege as a successful and rich black man but not really for his fellow blacks.

A pair of Ali's gloves hang in the Smithsonian Institute in Washing D.C. as a tribute to a great American Hero. Given the controversy of America's history with institutionalized racism and Ali's impact on the American civil rights movement, only Joe Louis and Jack Johnson are his historical equals. Given his popularity, outspoken history and amazing level of talented opposition, Ali surpasses both other historical greats to sit atop the heavyweight division as arguably the best heavyweight of all time.

I met Ali, twice, he was one of the most amazing people of my life time, and while others like Dr. King and the Kennedy's were more influential in American history, Ali will always be mentioned in this light. Other civil rights leaders may have done more, but none held the public status of Ali, even among other famous anthelets. I am White, so obviously I take exception to the Black Muslim statement about the devil having blond hair and blue eyes, but times were different back then. I was a shoeshine boy, a kid, playing on tanks at Patton Park, bugging the National Guardsmen during the riots in Detroit, I really didn't have an opinion on "race" when Ali came out of a mosque about a block from local 600 and me and a couple of other kids jumped on him and he swung us from his arms, playing with us in a crowd of several thousand. It left an impression that started a life long love affair with boxing. Many years later I ran into him again in Auburn Hills on St. Patrick's day, the night Michael Moorer almost lost to Big Foot Martin, and we briefly spoke again. I have met hundreds of champions and thousands of boxing personages, but none remotely equal to Ali.

Muhammad Ali was a great man, and I can tell you, from personal experience, he was no racist. He lived in racially charged times, and dealt with racism, like we all did, he just did it from a far more elevated position than the average person attains. Controversy was part of his nature, and he amplified what everyone else thought because of his amazing personality. In the end, like Dr. King so eloquently stated, "either we live together as brothers, or we die together as fools".

Spoken like the White, Irish, Catholic that I am, Muhammad Ali is my brother, and like Joe Louis before him, a credit to his race...the human race. If I learned anything in the past 53 years, it's People without integrity will try to take yours. Don't let them.

Aside from being an Olympic gold medalist and a world champion with 19 title fights, he did much outside the ring.



Muhammad also played a part in the civil rights movement. He met the most famous people of his times, fought all around the world including in 3rd world countries at a time when he was the biggest star in the sport.



Muhammad also took wrestling trash talk theatrics so another level. Aside from being an Olympic gold medalist and a world champion with 19 title fights, he did much outside the ring.

There were always trash talkers in boxing. John L Sullivan and Tony Galento were infamous for this but no one quite did it as much as Ali.



Every person with a history of being a public figure also has their flaws.



Muhammad Ali was part of a racist muslim sect. He also preached for some form of segregation early in his career and he used racial slurs against many of his Afro-American opponents.



The only fighters with a bigger impact than Muhammad Ali were;

Joe Louis & Jack Johnson.



@teodor

''Ali was no racist''

He followed Elija Mohamed an infamous racist. He said black men like Joe Frazier looked like ''gorillas''. Here are some of his words as a racist;