He said white people were the devil and that black parents shouldn't let their children marry white people (or something similar). I don't think the way to fight racism is by being racist yourself.
In fairness though Lucaaas Cassius Clay was born into abject poverty in a totally anti-black part of America, his ancestors were African slaves, I think he can be forgiven somewhat for his views given those circumstances but I agree that fighting racism with racism is negative. I can remember him refusing to go to Vietnam and being jailed for standing his ground on the issue, lots of his white fans over there weren't the same with him after that, they probably decided to stay home and watch a movie starring America's biggest ever war hero to never fight in a war instead.
I was going to say 'at least Trump will be happy with one less Muslim to worry about' but that issue has already been discussed. Anyway, from what I read & saw on 'telly I liked him, he was a great guy.
The term "legend" is overused nowadays. It barely begins to describe this man. He was Magnificent, mesmeric, a true sporting icon for the ages. Fought bravely in and out of the ring, Stood up for his beliefs and brought joy and pride to millions. RIP the greatest. PS: If you ever get the chance to watch "When we were Kings". DO
Especially as he was one-eighth Irish himself (he understandably didn't want to shout about that). Look, he undoubtedly loved the people of these islands and I think the anti-white rhetoric of his 30;s was based and aimed at the white supremacists in the US. His humanist version of Islam that he embraced in later years undoubtedly strengthened that too. It would have been a hard struggle for any famous, proud black person who rose through the times of the civil rights movement, and Lord knows that struggle is still there. And he was damned right about Vietnam.
Oi, he was proud of his Irish ancestry and went over a few times to mathair eireann to visit relatives and have a couple of pints of Guinness.
I remember watching his fights on TV in the late 60's and 70's he was a class boxer, though I am no expert on the subject. His refusal to fight in Vietnam reflected his view that only black people and poor whites were drafted. This was very true, you were exempt if you went to University, predominantly white kids at the time, or if your parents were wealthy, see George Bush Jnr who served in the home guard instead of Vietnam. Others bought their way out by paying doctors to say they were medically unfit. USA was so corrupt at the time and dominated by big business, even more so than now. It was always suspected that the reason he was drafted was in the hope that sending him to Vietnam would isolate him from the media and prevent him becoming a rallying figure for black Americans who were treated atrociously at the time. He claimed that after he won an Olympic boxing gold medal he was refused service in a restaurant as he was black. He took his medal and through it in a river as he was so disgusted with his country's attitude to black people. He was more than the greatest boxer ever and it was so sad that his last 30 yrs were destroyed by Parkinsons as he could have achieved even more in many fields of endeavour after his retirement from the ring. To me he will always "float like a butterfly and sting like a bee"
I foolishly stayed awake to listen to Ali v Richard Dunn on the American Forces Network(****ing only radio for big boxing bouts back then.), he lasted 5 rounds before Ali sparked the Yorkshire pudding, Dunn is remembered for his dramatic fall to the canvas and Ali's pisstaking rather than his performance.
ive never been one for bandwagon celebrity death condolence thingys but Ali was someone i really admired both in and out of the ring he was a real gent and a true legend, genuinely sad at this news. RIP big man
The Rumble in the Jungle, 1974 Float like a butterfly sting like a bee – his hands can’t hit what his eyes can’t see.” And in an equally famous boast: I done something new for this fight. I wrestled with an alligator. I tussled with a whale. I handcuffed lightning, I thrown thunder in jail. Only last week I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalised a brick. I’m so mean I make medicine sick.” Champions aren’t made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them: a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.” I’m so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and got into bed before the room was dark.”
I'm a mixed raced man my mum's white and my dad's black and tbh I feel nothing wrong with him feeling white people are evil considering where he came from and what it was like for him growing up oppresses. I'm sure he didn't die with those views
Ali's statement makes me laugh most "Miss world is white, Miss Universe is white ,even the is King of the jungle (Tarzan) is also white"
