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Muhammad Ali Civil Rights Speech. Muhammad Ali is one of the most well known and notorious athletes of all time. Muhammad ali was born on January 17 1942 as the name Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr in Louisville Kentucky to his two parents Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr. and Odessa Grady Clay along with his parents Ali had one sibling who was his brother Rahman Ali. Muhammad ali is also often referred to as the greatest boxer of all time and his nickname is “The Greatest.”Some of Ali's achievements in boxing of follows, 1959 National Golden Gloves Light Heavyweight Champion, 1974 Sportsman of the Year, Sports Illustrated, 1974 Fighter of the Year, Boxing Writers Association, 1974-78 World Heavyweight Champion, 1978-79 World Heavyweight Champion and there are many many more achievements that follow.But boxing was perhaps the most famous part of Alis life and legacy but very unknown by people was that Ali had a very large and influential influence on the civil rights movements of the 1960s. As stated earlier Ali grew up in Louisville Kentucky and this is where his entire advocacy for racial justice began. According to library.louisville.edu “ his awareness and experience of racism and white supremacy in Louisville, Kentucky. His dedication to his boxing career was accompanied by his profound conviction that he had a greater purpose. He consistently challenged white supremacy, racism, segregation, and U.S. hegemony.” One Of ali's first experiences with racial related violence was started when he was 13 years old. At 13 Ali saw a picture of 14 year old Emmett Till who was viciously murdered in Mississippi by a group of white people. Till had an open casket funeral that showed the world the brutality of anti black racism and showed how brutal racism had gotten. This grew a concern and a fire in Ali for the safety and the rights of young african americans around America. In high school muhammad ali attend the first public school for African Americans built using public funds. From 1874 until nearly the end of legal segregation in 1964, Central High School was the only secondary school in Louisville available for African American students and teachers this was central high school. After Ali graduated from central high school in 1959 he discovered the nation of islam and the muslim religoun. Ali said that he first learned of the Nation of Islam at 1959 Golden Gloves boxing tournament in Chicago.” A central goal of the Nation of Islam was to empower African-Americans, calling members “Black Muslims.” When Ali was Twenty Two years old in 1954 he defeated the world heavyweight champion in boxing Sonny Liston. The day after Ali claimed the belt and during this a reporter asked him the question f he was a card-carrying member of the Nation of Islam. “Card-carrying – what does that mean?” Ali responded with “I know where I’m going, and I know the truth, and I don’t have to be what you want me to be. I’m free to be what I want to be.” He went on to reject the name Clay, because black American’s last names were often inherited from their slave masters. “I will be known as Cassius X,” he said. In 1966 ALi made one of his biggest civil rights statements when he spoke out against the Vietnam War and this stimulated a very large debate among the United States. Alis conscientious objection to military service ignited an extraordinary backlash in the media and general public until the anti-Vietnam War movement became more mainstream. There was strong public opposition to a member of the Nation of Islam receiving a religious belief exemption from military service. Members of the Nation of Islam were denied conscientious objection during World War II. Even though some may not agree with this it was an act of great courage of Ali to speak out like this and he had the support of people like Martin Luther King Jr when he did speak out against the Vietnam War. Muhammad Ali went on in the years to quietly work with activists like Martin Luther King jr and others. In 1967 Ali went on to give a very famous speech at Howard University what had been called his “Black is Beautiful” speech. Ali blamed African-Americans' sense of inferiority upon a white dominated society that ignored them and their achievements, as if if they didn't exist . Ali continued to give speeches on college campuses in the summer of 1967 According to library.louisville.edu, “n the summer of 1967, Chicago was in fear of a resurgence of violence after the West Side uprising of 1966. Ali appeared at a secret meeting in Chicago's East Garfield Park neighborhood. He urged reconciliation among Black youths in the neighborhood, an end to violence, and restraint in the upcoming summer. Ali lived in Chicago while he was banned from boxing, where he was known as the “People’s Champ” and helped form amateur boxing leagues. The much-feared catastrophic riot of 1967 did not happen that summer.” This long stretch of speeches and standing up for civil rights. Through doing this continuously after Martin Luther King's Death in 1968 he carried on the legacy of his colleague and friend and this helped him earn his own civil rights legacy and the Liberty medal which is an award for civil rights and humanities Activities that made a huge impact.