People tend to forget that Muhammad Ali was a black, Muslim man who was proud of being so. He was unapologetically black, at a time where it was dangerous to do so. He joined the Nation of Islam and befriended Malcolm X.

He changed his name and still danced in the boxing ring around his opponents. He refused to go to the Vietnam War and his boxing license was revoked, at the peak of his career.

So I hate it when people just wash over his race. Simply calling him a “great man” is understating the kind of impact he has had on people of colors. He was a role model because he refused to deny himself of his color. So when Chris Myers says that “you didn’t see color you didn’t see religion” when you see Ali, well that’s disrespectful to everything Ali stood for. He was antiestablishment and anti-White supremacy. He was an idol of individualism, one who did not have to crumble to assimilation. He stayed strong despite the times.

So let’s not all have historical amnesia. Yes, Muhammad Ali was a strong fighter and a well spoken man. Yes, he evolved boxing and became an icon for people all around the world. But he was black and Muslim. These two things cannot be overlooked.