Mandessy 1

Alyssa Mandessy

Professor Kane

Eng 115 T/Th2

24 September 2019

Essay #1

Muhammad Ali was not only one of the best boxers of all time he was also a well known

civil rights activist. Ali’s coming out as a civil right hero was when he rejected his draft into the

Vietnam War. He pledged that he would never serve a country that does nothing but disrespect

and treat him like less human because of his ethnicity. The jumpstart of the antiwar movement

was dictated by Ali himself with his denial. His decision demonstrates resistance towards a

white-dominated America that paved the way for the Civils Right movement. Without Ali’s draft

into the war he would still succeed as a Civil Rights influencer and activist because Ali had an

abundance of platforms to speak on about racial inequality.

As a world champion, Ali was mistreated and misunderstood by media. Around the

1960s media was occupied by mostly white men. The white press would avoid calling Ali

“Muhammad Ali” and would rather call him by his given name “Cassius Clay” during his

post-interview after winning the heavyweight champion title. Ali felt as though his given name

correlated as his slave name and would refuse to answer to anyone, including the media, who did

not give him the respect of calling him by his preferred name. He does this to illuminate his

freedom and embrace it. By this Ali showcases his justice with people of color with media and

demands that no person should restrict the expression of oneself because a white man refuses to

accept it. Ali’s boxing platform reveals the black power within a white America as he speaks out
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on the injustice with media and his commitment to freedom of speech, an amendment a person

should not be stripped of.

Muhammad Ali had a diverse representation as an activist. Not only did he speak for

black Americans but he also represented the Nation of Islam. Islam believers preach that

everyone should embrace all races and ethnicities. Ali was criticized for his change in religion by

white people who were feared by it and his own fans. The negative reaction by the people goes

to show that racial inequality did not just rest upon black versus white, all races and religions

faced civil injustice. Ali argued with activists saying forced integration would not show any

progression within the civil rights movement. Instead of backing down to the “superior” and

waiting for change, he wants the people to challenge them and have an “If you hit me, I hit you

back.” mentality. Speaking for the Nation of Islam Ali spreads the ideals of another religion to

others and making other people respect foreign religious beliefs rather than ignoring and judging

it.

Ali’s music history begins where his boxing career ends in the late 1970s. He used music

to insult rivals by calling out their names and essentially disrespecting them. His lyrical

playfulness and huge ego inspired the rappers' music style. However, Ali’s influence on music

was more than just lyrical play and use of metaphors. According to an article written by Angus

Bately, he believes that Ali’s Islam beliefs impacted that way rappers wrote music. Bately states

“the movement’s ethos of regenerating black communities by instilling self-discipline, rejecting

drugs and alcohol, and seeking to counter white-dominated society’s racism with black

nationalism and a message of self-empowerment was a powerful brew, and of great appeal to

politicized young black men coming of age in the era of crack and Reaganomics.” Ali’s mindset
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of “If you hit me, I hit you back.” has a greater range of influence which showcases his success

as an activist.

The post antiwar movement may have made Ali a famous activist, however, Ali proves

that he would have an impact on the civil rights movent. Since Ali was a black Muslim

American, his own diversity shows the people that religions and races can intertwine. He

continuously expresses that power brings success. With this mentality, he gives people the

confidence to counter white America.