Muhammad Ali

An African-American professional boxer, activist, and philanthropist. Born as Cassius Marcellus Clay, he changed his name in the early sixties after converting to Islam. He won the world heavyweight championship from Sonny Liston at a major upset in 1964 at age 22. He later refused to be drafted into the military during the Vietnam War, and was then arrested, found guilty of draft evasion, and stripped of his boxing titles. The ruling was later overruled during an appeal to the Supreme Court. His actions as a conscientious objector to the war made him an icon for the larger counter culture generation and the civil rights movement. Sports Illustrated has called him the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time and the greatest athlete of the 20th century. He also received two Grammy nominations. Let's talk about Muhammad Ali. If you like this podcast, join The Liturgists to receive even more content like this and talk with other liturgists via our weekly video chat.