Muhammad Ali Jr. Speaks About BLM

[dales]

Muhammad Ali's son said his dad wouldn't have supported Black Lives Matter movement or protests over George Floyd's death


Muhammad Ali Jr., the son of the late boxing icon Muhammad Ali, told The New York Post in an hour-long interview that his father wouldn't have supported the Black Lives Matter movement, calling it "racist."

Ali, who died aged 74 in 2016 as a result of complications of Parkinsons' disease, was a known activist who in 1964 joined the Malcolm X-led Nation of Islam.

Ali Jr. said he believed his father would've supported the "all lives matter" movement, and thought the legendary boxer would've believed current protestors were "nothing but devils" after some demonstrations have turned destructive.

He said he supported President Trump and believed his father would have, too.

Muhammad Ali Jr. said he did not believe his father would have supported the current Black Lives Matter movement, calling participants in the movement "racist," The New York Post reported Saturday.

"I think it's racist," Ali Jr., the legendary boxer's only biological son whose relationship with his father "completely fell apart" in the final decade of his life, said, according to the report.

He added: "It's not just Black lives matter, white lives matter, Chinese lives matter, all lives matter, everybody's life matters. God loves everyone — he never singled anyone out. Killing is wrong no matter who it is."

''My father would have said, 'They ain't nothing but devils," Ali Jr, 47, told The New York Post. "My father said, 'all lives matter.' I don't think he'd agree."

Ali Jr. pointed toward some of the more destructive actions of some protestors in recent weeks as part of his own dissatisfaction with the Black Lives Matter movement. While some protests — particularly early on — turned destructive, many of the still ongoing demonstrations have remained peaceful.

"Black Lives Matter is not a peaceful protest. Antifa never wanted it peaceful. I would take them all out," Ali Jr. said.

"It's a racial statement," he said of Black Lives Matter. "It's pitting black people against everyone else. It starts racial things to happen; I hate that."

In 2016, Ali's most famous child, television personality and retired boxer Laila Ali, made similar statement, saying, "All lives matter."

"Yes, Black lives matter. Yes, white lives matter, asian lives matter. All lives matter," the boxing world champion said. "And that's kind of what my focus is."

On Wednesday, Ali told KTLA she thought it was a "shame" that Black Americans were still fighting to secure the same things her father supported.

"His grandsons are even having to fight two generations later, but we're going to keep at it because it's all about equality for Black people and all people," she said.

Nationwide protests against police brutality began following the police killing of 46-year-old George Floyd in Minneapolis. A since-fired police officer was recorded kneeling on Floyd's neck for more than eight minutes while he said he couldn't breathe and even after he lost consciousness. Three other officers have also been fired from the Minneapolis Police Department. All four have been charged for their involvement.

"Don't bust up s–t, don't trash the place," Ali Jr. told The Post. "You can peacefully protest."

As NPR noted, his father, the legendary late boxer often nicknamed "The Greatest," was a known activist, notably making headlines in 1967 for his refusal to be inducted into the U.S. Army in 1967 citing his opposition to the Vietnam War, his religious beliefs, and his identity as a Black Muslim.

In 1964, Ali, born Cassius Clay, joined the Malcolm X-led Nation of Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali to ride himself of his "slave name."

In an hour-long interview with the news outlet, Ali Jr. defended the police and said they "don't wake up and think, 'I'm going to kill a n----r today or kill a white man."

"I never had a bad scene with a cop. They've always been nice and protect me. I don't have a problem with them," he told The New York Post.

While he said the former Minneapolis Police Officer should not have killed Floyd, he said there was more to the story.

"The officer was wrong with killing that person, but people don't realize there was more footage than what they showed. The guy resisted arrest, the officer was doing his job, but he used the wrong tactic," he said, adding he believed that antifa, the leaderless decentralized group of left-wing activists, had been responsible for turning protests violent and that he agreed with the president that they should be classified as terrorist groups.

Ali Jr. said he believed his father would have supported President Trump.

Read the original article on Insider

[Scooter]

So I guess because one black guy (whom no one would have ever heard of unless he had a famous father) says it, it must be true.

[Joe Guy]

A lot of dumb arguments would have been avoided if the movement had been called, "Black Lives Matter Too". How could anyone misinterpret that?

[BoSoxGal]

Total bullshit - Muhammad Ali’s own activism and words speak for themselves. It’s not hard to figure out that he wouldn’t be a Trump supporter. This puke doesn’t have any right to twist his father’s legacy this way.

[Scooter]

A lot of dumb arguments would have been avoided if a lot of white people would just check their fragility at the door.

I guess "Save the Whales" should really call themselves "Save the Whales Too", to avoid the accusation that they don't want to see dolphins or other sea creatures saved also.

[BoSoxGal]

[Muhammad Ali's family continues fight against racial injustice; likens 'The Greatest' to Colin Kaepernick

Four years after his death, Muhammad Ali's legacy and activism carry on in the hearts and minds of millions, including his immediate family.

Muhammad Ali's family continues fight against racial injustice; likens 'The Greatest' to Colin Kaepernick

Author: Jonah Javad
Published: 11:04 PM CDT June 16, 2020
Updated: 11:04 PM CDT June 16, 2020

DALLAS — Inside the ropes, Muhammad Ali fought with his left and right.
Outside the ropes, he fought for what was right.

Remembering The Greatest: Muhammad Ali
To date Ali remains the only three-time lineal World Heavyweight Champion. He won the title in 1964, 1974, and 1978. On Friday, June3, the "Greatest Of All Time" has passed away. Muhammad Ali died surrounded by family and loved ones in Arizona. The Louisville, Ky. native born Cassius Marcellus Clay to Cassius Sr.

"The Greatest" was an outspoken boxer and a legendary activist who teamed with the likes of Jesse Jackson, Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

"My father was a man who loved his country, and every person in it, with every fiber of his being," Khaliah Ali asserted, one of the boxing legend's seven daughters.
Ali died on June 3, 2016 after a lengthy bout with Parkinson's Disease. He was 74.

For most of his life, Ali dedicated his energy and efforts to make the world a more civilized and equitable place.
Four years after his death, the United States is divided by civil unrest.

Yet, Ali's quest for racial equality carries on in his children and grandchildren.

"I work on seven different boards. I work with a multitude of organizations... I felt like this was the best way to honor him and keep a piece of him alive in both of our hearts," said Khaliah.
"I intend to use my education after I graduate from Harvard [University] to go to law school and use the law and pursue the law as a way to enact great change," said Jacob Ali-Wertheimer, Khaliah's son and Muhammad Ali's grandson. "To fight the legal battles that can be fought, in order to dismantle the system of systematic racism and oppression that exist in this country."

During a Zoom call on Tuesday, Jacob said he views Colin Kaepernick in a similar light to his late grandfather.
"When i look at Colin, I don't see many other athletes, or anybody in general, who embody my grandfather's spirit to that extent," admitted Jacob. "There are so many career parallels from their sacrifice, their exile, the fact they were ridiculed and hated for the stance they took earlier in their careers. I think it's very hypocritical to praise my grandfather but lump shame on Colin for the stance that he took."

NFL team should sign Colin Kaepernick, Roger Goodell says
Six months ago, the commissioner said the NFL had 'moved on' from Kaepernick. Now, he is encouraging teams to sign the quarterback. Roger Goodell would like to see Colin Kaepernick back in the NFL this season. It's a different tone from what Goodell said in December when he declared the league had "moved on" from Kaepernick.

While a member of the San Francisco 49ers, Kaepernick protested racial injustice and police brutality by taking a knee during the national anthem. The decision was so polarizing it landed him out of a job.

He hasn't played an NFL game since 2016.
In the wake of the senseless killings of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Ahmaud Arbery in Georga and Breonna Taylor in Ali's hometown of Louisville, protests have spread around the globe.

Windows shattered. Businesses burned. Looting. Rioting. Tear gas. Violence.

Since more NFL stars started speaking up, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell admitted "we were wrong" to suppress Kaepernick's form of peaceful protest.
What would Muhammad Ali think of the state of America in 2020?

"I think he'd be full-fight," said Khaliah. "He'd be clear. He was a man of God. He would be prayerful. And his message would be to give back. My favorite quote of my father's is, 'Service is the rent we pay for living here on Earth.'"
Giving back builds a longer table, not a higher wall.

[Bicycle Bill]

"I think it's racist," Ali Jr., the legendary boxer's only biological son whose relationship with his father "completely fell apart" in the final decade of his life, said, according to the report.

He added: "It's not just Black lives matter, white lives matter, Chinese lives matter, all lives matter, everybody's life matters.  God loves everyone — he never singled anyone out.  Killing is wrong no matter who it is."

Since when did 'black' become subject to capitalization?  Black is an adjective describing color, like green, brown, blue, or white (which, you might notice, is NOT capitalized).  It is not a proper noun denoting origin like Chinese, German, American, or European.

-"BB"-

[BoSoxGal]

[Muhammad Ali's family continues fight against racial injustice; likens 'The Greatest' to Colin Kaepernick

Four years after his death, Muhammad Ali's legacy and activism carry on in the hearts and minds of millions, including his immediate family.

Muhammad Ali's family continues fight against racial injustice; likens 'The Greatest' to Colin Kaepernick

Author: Jonah Javad
Published: 11:04 PM CDT June 16, 2020
Updated: 11:04 PM CDT June 16, 2020

DALLAS — Inside the ropes, Muhammad Ali fought with his left and right.
Outside the ropes, he fought for what was right.

Remembering The Greatest: Muhammad Ali
To date Ali remains the only three-time lineal World Heavyweight Champion. He won the title in 1964, 1974, and 1978. On Friday, June3, the "Greatest Of All Time" has passed away. Muhammad Ali died surrounded by family and loved ones in Arizona. The Louisville, Ky. native born Cassius Marcellus Clay to Cassius Sr.

"The Greatest" was an outspoken boxer and a legendary activist who teamed with the likes of Jesse Jackson, Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

"My father was a man who loved his country, and every person in it, with every fiber of his being," Khaliah Ali asserted, one of the boxing legend's seven daughters.
Ali died on June 3, 2016 after a lengthy bout with Parkinson's Disease. He was 74.

For most of his life, Ali dedicated his energy and efforts to make the world a more civilized and equitable place.
Four years after his death, the United States is divided by civil unrest.

Yet, Ali's quest for racial equality carries on in his children and grandchildren.

"I work on seven different boards. I work with a multitude of organizations... I felt like this was the best way to honor him and keep a piece of him alive in both of our hearts," said Khaliah.
"I intend to use my education after I graduate from Harvard [University] to go to law school and use the law and pursue the law as a way to enact great change," said Jacob Ali-Wertheimer, Khaliah's son and Muhammad Ali's grandson. "To fight the legal battles that can be fought, in order to dismantle the system of systematic racism and oppression that exist in this country."

During a Zoom call on Tuesday, Jacob said he views Colin Kaepernick in a similar light to his late grandfather.
"When i look at Colin, I don't see many other athletes, or anybody in general, who embody my grandfather's spirit to that extent," admitted Jacob. "There are so many career parallels from their sacrifice, their exile, the fact they were ridiculed and hated for the stance they took earlier in their careers. I think it's very hypocritical to praise my grandfather but lump shame on Colin for the stance that he took."

NFL team should sign Colin Kaepernick, Roger Goodell says
Six months ago, the commissioner said the NFL had 'moved on' from Kaepernick. Now, he is encouraging teams to sign the quarterback. Roger Goodell would like to see Colin Kaepernick back in the NFL this season. It's a different tone from what Goodell said in December when he declared the league had "moved on" from Kaepernick.

While a member of the San Francisco 49ers, Kaepernick protested racial injustice and police brutality by taking a knee during the national anthem. The decision was so polarizing it landed him out of a job.

He hasn't played an NFL game since 2016.
In the wake of the senseless killings of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Ahmaud Arbery in Georga and Breonna Taylor in Ali's hometown of Louisville, protests have spread around the globe.

Windows shattered. Businesses burned. Looting. Rioting. Tear gas. Violence.

Since more NFL stars started speaking up, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell admitted "we were wrong" to suppress Kaepernick's form of peaceful protest.
What would Muhammad Ali think of the state of America in 2020?

"I think he'd be full-fight," said Khaliah. "He'd be clear. He was a man of God. He would be prayerful. And his message would be to give back. My favorite quote of my father's is, 'Service is the rent we pay for living here on Earth.'"
Giving back builds a longer table, not a higher wall.

Prior to Ali’s death, Ali, Jr. was homeless and broke and had fallen out with the family. Take that for what it’s worth in determining if he speaks for Ali’s legacy.

[Joe Guy]

A lot of dumb arguments would have been avoided if a lot of white people would just check their fragility at the door.

I guess "Save the Whales" should really call themselves "Save the Whales Too", to avoid the accusation that they don't want to see dolphins or other sea creatures saved also.

You missed my point or maybe I wasn't clear enough. All the dumbass arguments I've heard about BLM is that it's not just black's lives that matter, that's why people reason that it should be "All Lives Matter". A simple adjustment to the wording might have eliminated the ALM bullshit.

And if other sea creatures could talk, yes they would probably question why only whales need to be saved.

Ask any tuna.

[Scooter]

I understand completely what you are saying, that BLM should change their name to accommodate white fragility. Too bad, so sad.

[Joe Guy]

I understand completely what you are saying, that BLM should change their name to accommodate white fragility. Too bad, so sad.

It's not about white fragility. It's about people in general just not getting it. When you have a message for the masses, you need to be clear. If I started a movement and called it, "White People Care", I have no doubt there would be a lot of people who would say, "Yeah, white people care only about themselves."

I didn't say BLM should change their name. I said if it had been BLMT from the beginning, it would have eliminated a lot of the misunderstanding of what the movement is about.

Anyway, your mind is made up, so that's all that really matters to you.

[Scooter]

It's not people "in general" not getting it. It's about certain people who don't want to get it, particularly those who don't accept that there is any problem. Those whose response to black people being targeted for slaughter, other violence and harassment by police is to say that "all lives matter", or worse, "blue lives matter" are not going to change their minds because someone says "black lives matter too".

[Econoline]

It's not about white fragility. It's about people in general just not getting it. When you have a message for the masses, you need to be clear. If I started a movement and called it, "White People Care", I have no doubt there would be a lot of people who would say, "Yeah, white people care only about themselves."

I didn't say BLM should change their name. I said if it had been BLMT from the beginning, it would have eliminated a lot of the misunderstanding of what the movement is about.

I agree with Joe on this one but, obviously, changing the slogan now would be ridiculous and counterproductive. And yes it is, at least partly, "people in general": there are undoubtedly plenty of (mostly white) folks in the rural midwest, great plains, and non-coastal western U.S. who never ever gave the issue any more thought than you've given to, say, grain elevator storage rates—people to whom "Black Lives" are an abstract concept, because they may have never met an actual Black person in their life.* To such a person their first, instinctive reaction to "BLM" would have been "Huh? What makes them special?" (Actually, no, the first reaction of many of them would more likely have been, "BLM? What's the Bureau of Land Management up to now?")

It's not "white fragility"; it's just poor messaging, and a missed opportunity. I worry that the same thing is happening right now with the slogan "Defund the Police."





*(People like my late mother, who was born and raised on a farm in central Illinois. She once told me that when she was a child, she and her siblings and friends used the word "nigger" as a sort of all-purpose insult, not even knowing that it referred to a particular type of human being. Never encountered a Black person until she became an Army nurse during WW2. Obviously, TV and mass media have made that level of ignorance obsolete, but still...a lot of people really don't think about, or care about, far-away things that don't affect themselves at all.)

[Bicycle Bill]

A lot of dumb arguments would have been avoided if a lot of white people would just check their fragility at the door.

I guess "Save the Whales" should really call themselves "Save the Whales Too", to avoid the accusation that they don't want to see dolphins or other sea creatures saved also.

S  A  V  E     T  H  E     W  H  A  L  E  S



C O L L E C T   T H E   W H O L E   S E T

-"BB"-

[datsunaholic]

The idea that adding "Too" to Black Lives Matter to me sounds like, again, marginalizing the systemic oppression that POC have to deal with and white people dont. Saying Black Lives Matter Too sounds like a secondary statement, less powerful and a way to weasel out of acknowledging that Black people have a much higher risk of being killed simply by being.

Basically you're saying "White Lives matter, and Black Lives matter too". Secondary. You just don't get it.

[Guinevere]

The idea that adding "Too" to Black Lives Matter to me sounds like, again, marginalizing the systemic oppression that POC have to deal with and white people dont. Saying Black Lives Matter Too sounds like a secondary statement, less powerful and a way to weasel out of acknowledging that Black people have a much higher risk of being killed simply by being.

Basically you're saying "White Lives matter, and Black Lives matter too". Secondary. You just don't get it.

This. Exactly.

[Guinevere]

A lot of dumb arguments would have been avoided if a lot of white people would just check their fragility at the door.

I guess "Save the Whales" should really call themselves "Save the Whales Too", to avoid the accusation that they don't want to see dolphins or other sea creatures saved also.

S  A  V  E     T  H  E     W  H  A  L  E  S



C O L L E C T   T H E   W H O L E   S E T

-"BB"-

This, coming from the man who must be so perfectly proportioned that he wouldn’t even show his face here.

You must really dislike women BB. Get some therapy, soon.

[Bicycle Bill]

This, coming from the man who must be so perfectly proportioned that he wouldn’t even show his face here.

You must really dislike women BB. Get some therapy, soon.

Hey, it was just a joke!  (if that line is good enough for Trump, then it's good enough for me)

I have never said or even insinuated that I am 'perfectly proportioned'.  The fact that I don't post pictures of myself here — or anywhere else online, for that matter — are for entirely different reasons altogether.

With regards to your recommendation to "get some therapy", it's a waste of good money and a steadily-diminishing amount of time.  Based on the average life expectancy of males on my father's side of the family, if I'm still around ten years from now I'll be ahead of the game.

And so far as your assumption that I dislike women, nothing could be further from the truth.  However, due to some stupid — and basically selfish — decisions I made earlier in life I have resigned myself to the fact that, like a stint of military service, time spent holding political office, or amassing great wealth and fame, a woman will never be a significant part of my biography either.

-"BB"-

[Guinevere]

Blah, blah, blah. Just the latest of many posts that demonstrate your blatant misogyny. You may tell yourself it’s your decisions, but it’s your ‘tude, dude.

[Joe Guy]

Basically you're saying "White Lives matter, and Black Lives matter too". Secondary. You just don't get it.

No. BLMT would have gone a long way toward preventing people from insinuating that Black Lives Matter somehow means the opposite of All Lives Matter. That's what too many people don't understand. You can believe whatever you want about what I'm "basically saying" but I'm talking about communicating with millions of people in the simplest terms.

It's a moot point anyway. As I said, I'm not suggesting changing it. I'm only commenting on how such negative responses to BLM could have been avoided.