Today the late and great Muhammad Ali,
the champion of the world forever was
laid to rest. He was a very great man
and not just because he was the supreme
athlete in the ring. Nobody ever saw
anything like Muhammad Ali in the ring
and they never will because it's
extremely unlikely that any person will
combine within one body and one mind the
kind of grace and perfection of his
athletic
prowess. He would have been remembered
in any case. But what has made him a
global icon and caused billions of
people around the world over the last
few days to mourn his passing was not
his prowess in the ring. It was the size
of his conscience, the size of his
intellect, his wonderful peerless
articulence, the fact that he stood when
tested and did not flinch. You see, it's
difficult now to remember, but when
Muhammad Ali announced to the world that
he was a Muslim, when he announced to
the world that he would not fight for
the United States of America in Vietnam,
when he said that I won't fight and kill
the Vietnamese people because none of
them ever called me none of them
ever lynched me, none of them ever set
dogs on me, none of them called me names
and denied me my rights. When Muhammad
Ali said those things, America was a
very very powerful beast indeed. And he
was not just in amongst it. He was the
champion of the world. And he knew that
the consequences that he would face
could scarcely be more severe. He was
stripped of his title. He was deprived
of almost four years of earning ability.
The the years that would have been the
most lucrative of his career. He was
forced to take to the campuses and the
uh radio stations and world travel to
occupy himself when he should have been
in the ring defending his title. He knew
that he would face this powerful enemy,
but he did not flinch. And that's a
measure of the man. most people would
have quietly put aside their objections
to the war in Vietnam and gotten about
the business of making money. But
because Muhammad Muhammad Ali had a
moral character uh almost without
comparison in the uh comparative uh
among sportsmen and amongst others
because Ali was a giant and not just
physically but morally. He stood that
test and he has stood the test of time
and he will be remembered 100, 200, 500
years from now. And that is something to
be. Being the champion of the world is
one thing. Being the champion of the
world's hearts and conscience, something
even better. So, Muhammad Ali, may God
have mercy upon your soul. May you rest
in peace.