Commerative Speech Muhammed Ali

By a show of hands, how many of you know who Casssius Clay is? Ok now by a show of hand how many of you know who Muhammed Ali is? Well, Casssius Clay is Muhammed Ali. Clay changed his name to Ali at age 18, after he won the Light Heavyweight gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, and converted to the Islamic religion. While Muhammad Ali is known the world over as one of the greatest boxers of all time, Ali was far from a fighter. Ali believed in peace not war and predicated himself on the ideas of peace, protection, and prosperity for all people. As a child growing up in Kentucky, He fought back against oppression and segregation. He dedicated his life to fighting injustice and demanded equality for African Americans. “I came back to Louisville after the Olympics with my shiny gold medal. Went into a luncheonette where black folks couldn't eat. Thought I'd put them on the spot. I sat down and asked for a meal. The Olympic champion wearing his gold medal. They said, "We don't serve niggers here." I said, "That's okay, I don't eat 'em." But they put me out in the street. So I went down to the river, the Ohio River, and threw my gold medal in it”. Last Friday Muhammed was laid to rest in Kentucky and while he will be missed, his message and voice will not fade quietly into the night but will rather remind us of how far we’ve come. Ali said “Float like a Butterfly sting like a bee”. Weather it was in the ring or in life, he took chances even if it meant going against the masses. In March of 1966, Ali refused initiation into the armed forces because of his opposition to the Vietnam War. “This is the day when such evils must come to an end. I have been warned that to take such a stand would cost me millions of dollars. But I have said it once and I will say it again. The real enemy of my people is here. I will not disgrace my religion, my people or myself by becoming a tool to enslave those who are fighting for their own justice, freedom and equality. If I thought the war was going to bring freedom and equality to 22 million of my people they wouldn’t have to draft me, I’d join tomorrow. I have nothing to lose by standing up for my beliefs. So I’ll go to jail, so what? We’ve been in jail for 400 years.” Ali gave up money, his title and endorsements for what he believed was right. While fear dictates our life and the choices we make, we must be reminded that like the sun, fear rises and