Muhammad Ali Dbq

In a time in which most Americans were apprehensive about Blacks’ integration into normal society, Muhammad Ali rose against the odds to become one of the greatest boxers of all time. Ali survived a time period in which his African American heritage and Islamic views drastically contrasted that of the American norm. However, his dominance in the athletic world came tumbling down as he was punished for refusing induction into the Vietnam War in 1967, an “unholy” war that went against his religious beliefs clearly outlined in the Quran. As Ali was delivering pride to his country through international boxing titles, Ali was given jail time, fined, and stripped of his boxing titles in return. This brings up the question, was it right to convict

Ali was a world renowned boxer who earned titles such as the heavyweight champion of the world and an Olympic gold medal. Ali was a remarkable athlete, but his outspokenness led to his downfall that ruined boxing career in his prime. During the twenty year long Vietnam war, Ali was drafted to enter the army. But like many other religious, disabled, or otherwise conflicted United States citizens, Ali refused to join the draft. Ali’s fairly recent conversion to Islam prevented him from being able to engage in war or combat. He was almost immediately stripped of his world title, stripped of his boxing license, put on trial by the United States Department of Justice, fined $10,000 and sentenced to five years in prison. The man who once brought pride to the country was being prosecuted by the government whom he boxed for internationally. Many still ponder, was it right for Muhammad Ali to be stripped of all his titles and banned from boxing for refusing to be inducted into the

This was a very discriminatory part of the United States’s history and tension between Black and White Americans were at an all time high. Ali’s revolutionary words seemed to increase tensions and infuriate Americans who didn’t want their children looking up to a Black Muslim as a core role model. Ali was the opposite of what this country was founded on: he wasn’t white, he wasn’t Christian, and he didn’t believe in political war. He juxtaposed the typical image of an American so people naturally were prejudiced against him. So when he was given punishment upon punishment for refusing to be inducted- many people looked favorably upon the decision. However, there were still many in the Black, Muslim, and international community who were rightfully angered by the