Yet, another Hero of mine

[Miigwech]

MUHAMMAD ALI, CO-FOUNDER OF THE ALI CENTER

Over fifty years after he burst upon the scene as a gold-medal winner at the 1960 Olympics, in Rome, Muhammad Ali remains a magical figure, known and loved throughout the world.

As a boxer, Muhammad brought unprecedented speed and grace to his sport, while his charm and wit changed forever what the public expected a champion to be. His accomplishments in the ring were the stuff of legend. But there was always far more to Muhammad than what took place in a boxing ring.

Muhammad’s life and career played out as much on the front pages of national and international newspapers as on the inside sports pages. His early embrace of the Nation of Islam and his insistence on being called Muhammad Ali instead of his “slave name,” Cassius Clay, heralded a new era in black pride. His refusal to be inducted into the United States Army anticipated the growing antiwar movement of the 1960’s.

Traveling across continents, he hand-delivered food and medical supplies to such needy sites as the Harapan Kita Hospital for Children in Jakarta, Indonesia; the street children of Morocco; and Sister Beltran’s orphanage for Liberian refugees on the Ivory Coast, to name just a few.

https://www.alicenter.org/about-us/muhammad-ali/

[quickesst]

1. I just thought about something

Muhammad Ali was arrogant, yet it was his style of arrogance that endeared him to me. It was so beautifully done you couldn't tell if it was serious or tongue in cheek. I think it was that little sideways glance and hint of a smile that told you, "I'm just having fun." In or out of the ring Muhammad Ali was truly the greatest of all times.

[akraven]

2. Good heavens, friend, you're bringing up every hero of my dad's!

He actually saw the fight when he was Cassius Clay in Miami. He didn't care about the name change, the religion, etc. He was dad's hero!