Muhammad Ali's Civil Disobedience

Cohen, 1 Jason Cohen 5/14/09 Civics, Joulé Bazemore Periods 4 & 5 Muhammad Ali’s Civil Disobedience Muhammad Ali was a three-time heavyweight champion with only five career losses but had one major event in his lifetime that could have jeopardized his boxing career. He refused to be drafted and to fight in the Vietnam War. He was a contentious objector because he did not believe in war. He did not want to fight a nation that did nothing to him. He was then arrested for draft evasion and had no problem with being jailed. Although Thoreau was jailed for not paying his taxes, this is similar to Ali’s arrest because he had positive feelings about standing up for what he believed in. However, Thoreau was against the government. Ali’s reason for draft evasion was religion. Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. and converted to Islam, thus getting his name changed. One of his influences for conversion was Malcolm X. Ali believed that the Islamic faith are a peaceful people and they should not be going to war. Also, he was upset that he would have to be fighting two wars, the Vietnam War, and the AfricanAmerican struggle in the South. The following are some of Ali’s quotes regarding his evasion from the drafting in the Vietnam War: •

"I Ain't Got No Quarrel With The Viet Cong…No Viet Cong Ever Called Me N****r"

Cohen, 2 •

“No, I am not going 10,000 miles to help murder kill and burn other people to simply help continue the domination of white slave masters over dark people the world over. This is the day and age when such evil injustice must come to an end.

The following are photographs of Ali in boxing and in protest:

Muhammad Ali was similar to Henry David Thoreau because he stood up for what he believed in which was peace in the Islamic faith, thus he evaded the draft and was jailed for it. Even though he was jailed for five years, he came out of jail to become the champion boxer that he was and kept his career going.