Muhammed Ali Advances Civil Rights

He was the most famous person in the world.

He was also a Vietnam War protester.

In 1967, Muhammad Ali had been ejected from professional boxing for his antiwar statements. Twelve leading athletic personalities met in Cleveland Ohio to announce their support of Ali.

Read about the Summit here to find out more about these 12:

https://teachingcleveland.org/remembering-clevelands-muhammad-ali-summit-45-years-later-plain-dealer-5312/

ACTIVITY

How have other athletes protested for civil rights?

See below. Do you agree with or criticize these protests?

At the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, champion American sprinters Tommy Smith and Juan Carlos raised their fists in civil rights protest. May 25, 2021. They wore beads and scarves to symbolize lynchings lynchings and black socks with no shoes to illustrate poverty in the United States.

Colin Kaepernick was ejected by the San Francisco 49ers after playing six years for them. He remained a free agent in the NFL but he has been out of a job since 2016. His protest actions have polarized football fans who see his civil rights protest as unpatriotic while others find it heroic.