As America mourns the loss of who some might call the' greatest boxer of all time,' it is only fair to reflect upon all of his lifetime achievements. Muhammad Ali, born Cassius Clay Jr., was born on January 17, 1942. At the age of 18, Ali became an Olympic gold medalist. Four years later, in 1964, Ali would be crowned the world's heavy weight champion, and twice more in the 1970s. Ali died June 3, 2016 with many fans remembering him as an activist, philanthropist, and challenger of the status quo.
With a record of 56 wins, 5 losses, and 37 knockouts, Ali's name will continue to be prevalent in boxing for many years to come, but that's not the only place. Muslims will continue to admire Ali for being one of the few world-famous Muslims, aside from Mike Tyson, Saddam Hussein, and Usama Bin Laden, of course. Not only did Ali bring light to Islamic beliefs, he was also an outspoken advocate for his beliefs. In fact, one of the reasons he divorced his first wife, Sonji Roi, was because she refused to take part in many Muslim customs and dress.
Ali was so devoted to the Islamic belief system, after his conversion from Christianity, that he joined the Nation of Islam, a well-known black Islamic supremacist group in 1961. This group was known as a 'hate group' and for its violence against law enforcement. Among many of its beliefs is that the original black race of man is superior, especially to the white man. In 1962, Ali became a mentee of Malcolm X and a follower of Elijah Muhammad, who according to Ali is a leader "who preaches the doom of America." (Seems like an awesome leader right!?)
Ali was firmly against interracial marriage. In an interview with Playboy in 1975, Ali said " a black man should be killed if he's messing with a white woman," and continued that if a black woman were to cross the color barrier, she should be killed too. But whites and interracial marriage weren't the only things he thought were devil-like. According to Ali, "All Jews and gentiles are devils... Blacks are no devils… Everything black people doing wrong comes from [the white people]: Drinking, smoking, prostitution, homosexuality, stealing, gambling. It all comes from [the white people]."
He was never academically advanced but luckily for Ali, his graceful bouts in the ring will shadow his lack academic achievement. Ali finished 376 out of 391 in his high school class and had an IQ of 78, according to ESPN. Ali's name will forever serve as a prime example of his IQ testing will never truly measure human intelligence. Ali defied all odds and made something of himself even without a college education proving how great of a nation America is. Unfortunately, Ali didn't see America this way -- evident through his refusal to fight for his country because of "religious reasons", the very country that made him a millionaire and superstar.
So as many Americans continue to mourn the loss of a great person, but in and out of the ring, I will mourn the loss of a great boxer… but that’s all.
