Cassius Clay

[valley ranch]

FR DEmitri Gerkoff
Now that he's been laid to rest, I wish to comment on Muhammad Ali. I want to make mention of the young man, Cassius Clay, who died in 1964, only to be reborn as Cassius X Clay after his mentor Malcom X, and soon after to Muhammad Ali after he converted to the Nation of Islam version of Islam. He called Cassius Clay his slave name. Rather silly, since he was named after his father who was named after one of the most anti-slavery abolitionists ever, Cassius Marcellus Clay. Even more sad is his ignorance of how Islam was responsible for the slaves in America in the first place. But his rebirthing himself with an Arabic name has caused generations now of Blacks to think that Arabic names are Black names.

[Peter1469]

He joined the Nation of Islam. A wacky cult.

I am not sure if he ever became a Muslim.

[Common]

The nation of islam started in prisons for protection. Many blacks joined it, I believe its still present in prisons where it does most of its recruiting. There was wars between different factions in the 60s and 70s. Elijiah came out on top.

Anyone can join whatever they want that includes Cassius Clay any can change their name.
Muhammed Ali was on one of the greatest heavyweights of all time.

Where he stepped over was using it for an excuse not to serve, he was arrested but to my knowledge never did any prison time and was stripped of his title and banned from boxing for 3 yrs.

He refused to serve during wartime when there were many lesser men in stature black and white alike serving. A man of lesser status would have been imprisoned an their sentence would not have been vacated.

He was a great skilled boxer, a great american, eh not so much.

[Beevee]

In all the adulation that followed his death and the reporting of his fighting career, I didn't once see mentioned that in his fight with Henry Cooper, he was knocked down at the end of a round and only survived by the bell.

At the start of the following round, his trainer complained that his glove was torn and a subsequent delay in the fight took place.

It's convenient to forget what one chooses not to remember.