Even Martin Luther King Jr. took a side. “When Cassius Clay joined the Black Muslims,” he said, “he became a champion of racial segregation and that is what we are fighting against. I think perhaps Cassius should spend more time proving his boxing skill and do less talking.”
Thanks for that post. Saw one of Kings family members on Fox the other day touting how Ali learned from Dr. King. Obviously she forgot this critical comment.
IMO Ali was not that bright and was used by some nefarious people. Once he had Parkinson's and lost his ability to speak, his minders created a "new" Ali that burnished his image as a civil rights leader and humanitarian. His wife, Lonnie, acted as his interpreter, seemingly able to know what Ali would have said using a sign like a wink or a nod. It was a sad ending for someone so athletically gifted.