ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING & CRITICAL THINKING-ENGL F001A

How Muhammad Ali used Boxing Talent and Activism to Fight against Racial Inequality in America

The story of racism and boxing goes back to the period when the sport was introduced to slaves whose majority were from the black community. However, slave owners regulated the sport because they did not want slaves to get permanent injuries since they played a pivotal role in their economic structures by providing forced labor. Southern plantation owners in America could sometimes organize fights between slaves of equal strength as a form of entertainment and pleasure.  For instance, John L. Sullivan established the “color line” by refusing to fight a Negro and other boxers such as Jim Jeffries followed suit and retired without fighting an African American (Bingham & Wallace 31). Amidst the era of social injustices in America, Muhammad Ali emerged as one of the most influential boxers on the issue of racism because he did not want to be viewed as a second-hand citizen nor live in a society that subjugated African Americans to treatment characterized by slavery. Until recently, Muhammad Ali’s trials have not been studied or analyzed for cultural, social, political, or social significance. Autobiographer Howards Bingham and historian Max Wallace used Ali’s quotes and primary sources in studying Muhammad Ali’s trials, which were significant for social change in the 1960s and 1970s. In light of these statements, Muhammad Ali used his boxing talent and activism to fight against racial inequality and social injustices faced by the African American community in America.

The struggle between African American culture and white America cannot be dismissed when analyzing the implications and aspects of Muhammad Ali’s position against the American Government. Bingham and Wallace illustrated the hatred displayed by white America by highlighting the letters that people sent to the president. Most of these letters were written by the white middle class in America to demonstrate their hatred towards Ali (Bingham & Wallace 99). Moreover, the letters included threats and profound racism hence revealing the racial tension that surrounded Ali’s case. It makes me understand how white power structures intended to harass African Americans and control their future by deterring the individuals that represented their voices. Ali is considered a critical figure in the Civil Rights Movement because the public perceived his case on the basis of race. It reflects how some of the cases of African Americans are ignored by the criminal justice system on the bases of race, ethnicity, and religion. Ali’s case revealed injustices faced by the black community and even today police brutality is being recorded in States such as Texas, Ohio, Georgia, Florida, California, Virginia, North Carolina, New York, Maryland, and Illinois where most African American communities live.

Muhammad Ali envisioned himself as a vision for the oppressed individuals and used boxing as a platform for fighting the racial injustices from white America and the government towards African Americans. Ali’s refusal to join Vietnam War as an American soldier revealed his focus on fighting for African Americans. In showing his intentions to end racism by fighting against the American government, Ali believed that many black people were dying in Vietnam War for the sake of the county that never respected or recognized their communities. He stood for the rights of black community by reminding the government that he has another war to fight for his people rather than going to Vietnam (Bingham & Wallace 9). The U.S. government during this time was afraid that more African Americans could be involved in draft dodging. This means that Ali’s efforts in fighting the U.S. government presented the cultural encounters through which racial prejudices were transformed in America. Even today, as college students we can see how racial prejudices are presented in political systems, social actions, and practices. For example, some immigrants in the U.S. have been denied citizenship just because of their skin color and ethnicity. On the other side, their counterpart whites and most likely who come from Europe do enjoy advantages in matters of politics, education, land acquisition, and voting rights.

The issue of racism as presented by Muhammad Ali still arises in some institutions in the United States today. While the fight against racism has been going on for many years, the social issue has taken new forms with racist incidents ranging from the use of race during college admissions to the creation of “Blacks only” and “Whites only” facilities within the institutions (Camera, Supreme Court Strikes Down Use of Race in College Admissions, U.S News, 29 June 2023). While Supreme Court decisions intend to increase the enrolment of African Americans into white public universities, the higher education system of the United States is still characterized by racism. Ali’s activism involved him making numerous tours across colleges in America where he delivered lengthy soliloquies regarding his experiences with racism in America (Bingham & Wallace 145). Ali’s efforts in fighting racism became prevalent during his symposiums and speeches at universities due to his focus on changing the white power structure in America to save future generations. It makes us understand how he portrayed deviant black manhood, which many African Americans considered to be refreshing and wished to emulate during the Civil Rights Movement. In Ali’s eyes, it was irrational for any African American or civil rights activist to disagree with his statements. In this case, he influenced civil rights activists while defending his personal beliefs because his tours to college campuses to discuss the future of America cannot be viewed as a coincidence because we as college students can participate in activism and fight racial inequality.

Prejudice and racism of white America and the United States government are also displayed through popular media and courts. With his personal beliefs, media appearances, and through his words, Ali portrayed his focus on fighting racism in America. The laws, segregation, and racism that followed the Civil War contributed to the rise of Civil Rights movements, which led to more hatred against African Americans who criticized the atrocities committed by white Americans (Bingham & Wallace 22). He was joined by other boxers such as John L. Sullivan and Jack Johnson together with civil rights activists such as popular Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X who embraced Marcus Garvey’s ideals in showing their disgust towards the oppression of African Americans. These significant figures used different platforms to advocate justice, freedom, and equality. Today, we have also seen how the African-Americans have united and formed movements such as “Black Lives Matter” which helped in mobilizing the black community to fight police brutality and racial violence against them. Many students including those from Foothill College participated in BLM protests which agitated for the justice of George Floyd, an African American.

Most African American athletes considered Muhammad Ali as a catalyst for change due to his outstanding efforts in challenging racism. For instance, Jim Brown considered the Nation of Islam as advocated by Ali as the best medium for exposing racism. Although Brown never converted his faith, he acknowledged that Black Muslims made great efforts in revealing the state of African Americans (Bingham & Wallace 247). During this time, the media was tainting the image of African Americans because white Americans were not comfortable with acknowledging their racist tendencies. It is surprising that even today most white Americans do not admit their racist tendencies because they believe it could ruin their self-image (BBC News Implicit Bias: Is Everyone Racist?, BBC News Services, 5 June 2017). However, most college students in the United States acknowledge the importance of civil rights movements, especially after the death of Trayvon Martin and George Floyd, because they give African Americans the courage to fight for racial equality. Foothill College is one of the institutions which believe in a democratic and just society, where success for students is not predicted by race. The college under President Thuy Thi Nguyen has made a big effort in dismantling systematic racism and oppressive systems which are either structural, cultural, or individual. The community college has also taught and exercised a curriculum that creates racial awareness and equity. With a toolkit created by students known as “Ethnicity & Race in Academia,” the institution has become popular and allowed Foothill College community members to effectively counter racism through education and service leadership.

Altogether, the impact of Muhammad Ali’s life together with other significant figures such as John L. Sullivan, Jack Johnson, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., and Marcus Garvey is acknowledged by all African Americans because they left a legacy of defiance and pomp intertwined with humanity and compassion. Their gift of words changed the history of African Americans and further created a more enriched world with people recognizing the rights and freedom of the black community. Bingham and Wallace’s efforts in placing these figures at the height of civil rights movements directly include the roles they played in the struggle for racial equality and social injustices. The authors used their book to make us especially college students understand how Muhammad Ali was the most influential activist who inspired other figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. to use the civil rights movement as a platform for race struggle between African Americans and white supremacy. From this study, it is evident that racism as a social issue started centuries ago through the oppression of African Americans who were seen as slaves meant to offer forced labor in America. While racism continues to be an issue even in modern society, we cannot ignore the efforts of Muhammad Ali and other black activists in the fight against racial inequality and social injustices. Ali was a champion both in the ring and in advocating people’s needs in society.

Works Cited

BBC News. Implicit Bias: Is Everyone Racist? BBC News Services, 5 June 2017, www.bbc.com/news/magazine-40124781.

Bingham, Howard L., and Max Wallace. Muhammad Ali’s Greatest Fight: Cassius Clay vs. the United States of America. M. Evans, 2012.

Camera, Lauren. Supreme Court Strikes Down Use of Race in College Admissions, U.S News, 29 June 2023, www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2023-06-29/supreme-court-strikes-down-use-of-race-in-college-admissions.