12. He Fought For What He Believed In
In March of 1964 shortly after Cassius Clay was declared the Heavyweight Boxing Champion of the World, Elijah Muhammad announced that Clay was henceforth to be known as Muhammad Ali, which means “worthy of all praises most high.” More than simply a fantastic boast, Ali’s name change was also a proclamation once and for all that he was a member of Elijah Muhammad’s Nation of Islam. Ali had been associating with Black Muslims since his youth, but the extent of his involvement with NOI wasn’t publicly known until that moment. The Nation of Islam activated black progressivism and black separatism through any means necessary. Ali claimed Clay was his “slave name,” and despised any boxer or member of the press who continued to call him by that name. His commitment to his cause led to him becoming a hate figure in large, racist parts of the United States, but he remained undefeated and kept fighting both in the ring and in public. There was, however, one place Ali refused to fight…
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