The canonization of Cassius Clay (aka Muhammad Ali)?

Submitted by Janet Kempf (United States), Nov 29, 2005 at 06:46

There are many things I do not understand these days but this has to be near the top of my list.

I grew up in Chicago during the '50s and '60s and remember vividly the local news stories about Elijah Muhammad and the Black Muslims. I remember them so well because of the fear they inspired in my 10-year old mind. I can still hear him calling all white people "blue-eyed devils" and making threats especially during the long, hot sixties summers when race riots were part of our summer vacations. Even though I did not have blue eyes, I knew he was talking about me and my family.

And along came Cassius Clay. While dodging the draft, he joined this bunch of would-be terrorists and I never forgot that.

Maybe a lot of the people who laud him today think that he was born with the name "Muhammad Ali", although I would suspect the President knows better. But for those of us who remember Cassius Clay before his "conversion", could someone please provide an explanation of why this man should be getting any awards whatsoever?

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