photo courtesy of:
sportsillustrated.cnn.com
Muhammad Ali is one of the world’s most renowned boxers. He dominated the sport for several years, controlling most fights and ending his career with very few professional losses. But it is not only Muhammad Ali’s boxing career that stands out in history. Muhammad Ali has the reputation of being one of the most upfront and straightforward athletes in the athletic world. He would often say what may other individuals would fear to say. If it were related to athletics or politics, if it were in a press conference are on national television, Ali was defiant in all he did. Ali’s name also is a proof of his defiance. At a time in which the world treated muslims with hostility, the formerly known Cassius Clay, chose to affiliate himself with the muslim religion. “Clay” then changed his name to the well known “Muhammad Ali” and demanded that all referred to him by his muslim name. Ali thought his former name to be a “slave name”, a name given to his ancestors by their slave masters. Ali’s determination and dedication are exemplary. He fought hard for his boxing title, but more importantly for his beliefs and his fellow african american people. Ali recognized that their wasn’t reason to travel to the other side of the world to fight a war, when in his very own country did not treat him as a citizen. Ali was quoted saying, “I ain’t got no quarrel with those vietcong…no vietcong ever called me nigger.” Ali lived during the start of the vietnam war, but refused the state officials when drafted into the army explaining that he would not fight a needless war. Because of Ali’s bold opinion in regards to racism, Ali was accused of supporting “separatism”. But on several occasions would accuse his accusers of separatism because of the segregation between white and black members of society. The public scene did not censor Ali’s words, in front of few or many people, Ali spoke his mind. Because of Ali’s strong opinion, Ali was banned from boxing in the United States for most of 1966. Ali chose to travel abroad and continued fighting in other countries, even organizing a fight in “the congo”, in order to raise money for the people that lived there. After being allowed to box in the U.S. and a long boxing career, Ali retired but continued his fight for inequality by making many appearances at fundraisers. Not many people would think of defying a government, or speaking openly amongst hostiles, but Ali knew what was right and wrong and would not let anyone tell him differently.
The Definition of Defiance 