IndexThe life of Muhammad Ali and its significant impact on societyMuhammad Ali as a humanitarian and philanthropistConclusionsWorks CitedMuhammad Ali was an African American former professional heavyweight boxer and one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century. His boxing career began in the 1960s and ended in 1981. He was the first boxer to win the heavyweight title on three separate occasions and was an Olympic gold medalist. Ali won fifty-six times in his twenty-one year professional boxing career. Muhammad Ali was the most important African-American athlete of all time because he used his fame to promote issues relevant to black Americans, including opposition to the war in Vietnam, support for the civil rights movement, and he used his boxing platform to promote equal treatment for blacks. people in the United States. He was a very outspoken person on issues of racism, religion and politics, which made him a target at a time when the United States had racial segregation and was going through the Cold War. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The Life of Muhammad Ali and His Significant Impact on Society Muhammad Ali was originally born as Cassius Clay Jr. in Louisville, Kentucky. He legally changed his name to Muhammad Ali when he converted to Islam and was a practicing Muslim. Elijah Mohammad, one of the most famous human rights activists also known as Malcolm X, gave Cassius his Muslim name. The biggest fight of his life wasn't in the ring; it was his refusal to enlist in the first Vietnam War. His position shocked America and created a movement of anti-war activism. In March 1966, at age 25, at the height of his career, Ali refused to serve in the Vietnam War. He said the war was against his religion and beliefs. He also didn't understand why he needed to kill people he had never met, who had never called him racist names, who had never hurt his family or who had ordered dogs to attack him. He was immediately stripped of his championship belt, passport and could not box anywhere in the United States. He was fined $10,000 and was expected to serve a 5-year prison sentence. Martin Luther King Jr. was in support of Ali and spoke about his opposition in public after Ali took the stand. Ali gave him the courage to speak about the oppression of war. More than 20,000 Americans died in the Vietnam War that year. Ali did not serve time in prison because he was on probation while under appeal and investigation. Opposition to the Vietnam War began to grow and Ali's views gained empathy as he was struggling financially and had no career. He was not aloud to leave the country. He spoke across the country criticizing the war and advocating for black pride and racial justice. He believed one of the reasons he was drafted was his race and religion. The year before, Joe Lewis, the former heavyweight champion, had donated his entire salary from his mega boxing match to help finance the world war. After Lewis' retirement, the US government required the former boxer to pay taxes on the proceeds of that fight, although Lewis donated the entire amount to the government. This act bankrupted Joe Lewis and he died a pauper. Ali protested the disgusting treatment of African Americans, even as they fought for the country. His case went through the courts before his conviction was overturned in 1971. He returned tofight after 4 years. Ali joined the Nation of Islam, an African-American political and religious movement. He spoke about the genocide against African Americans and was inspired to meet people of different colors from all over the world to give him a different perspective and greater spiritual awareness. As a child, Ali was told that black people had no rights and were lucky to even live in America. The laws of the United States of America treated black people as if they were second-class citizens when Ali was growing up. There were racially designated areas where blacks could eat, shop, work, and send their children to school. They have been told where to live and who they can marry or not marry. They would be treated more harshly if they broke the law. The city's most famous amusement park was near his home, but only white people were allowed to speak loudly in or near the park. This bothered black children and made them feel like caged animals. Ali's father told him that only money can give a black man equality and respect. At the age of 12, Ali's bicycle was stolen. He told this to a police officer who advised him to learn boxing to defend himself. Ali took his words and began training with the officer who later became his coach in his boxing career. Ali said he always wanted to be famous when he was young. A journalist asked him why being famous was important to him. He responded this way so he could show that as a black man you didn't need to follow the white man's commands and you could be free and say whatever you wanted and go wherever you wanted. He wanted to show that equality was a possibility for a black man. Muhammad Ali introduced the term "Black Power" to audiences in white America through his celebrity status. He aligned himself with Elijah Mohammad and Martin Luther King Jr. He would spread their philosophies to promote equality and create awareness throughout the nation. Muhammad Ali as a Humanitarian and Philanthropist His humanitarian and philanthropic efforts were a result of the struggles he had in his childhood, growing up as a person of color in racist America. He has never been a greedy person. He has donated millions of dollars to charities and disadvantaged people of all backgrounds. It is estimated that Ali helped feed over 22 million people around the world who were suffering from hunger due to food shortages. He always fought for minorities and the underprivileged whenever he had the chance. He was in support of Native American rights, he went to Africa to boycott the Moscow Olympics and Ali went to Iraq and met with Saddam Hussein to negotiate the release of the American hostages and was successful. Ali convinced the United States government to come to the aid of the Palestinian and Rwandan refugees. Even when Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's syndrome, he never stopped spreading peace. He contracted the disease due to constant head trauma caused by the sport of boxing. He raised awareness about Parkinson's disease and went to Afghanistan to spread peace on behalf of the United Nations. He always took time out of his day to help those less fortunate. As Ali grew older, his illness worsened. Ali could not speak properly, did not walk straight and always seemed sleepy. Ali has always tried to make public appearances for his fans and followers despite his deteriorating health. His body was giving up and he was becoming very fragile. He had visible tremors and had a very hard time remembering information. Ali was hospitalized in 2014 for a respiratory illness. He continued to contract infections in different parts of the.