Muhammad Ali

Is Ali the Last American Hero? Who Else is There?

by Robert Lipsyte

"I’ve been wondering lately just how Ali actually reached such heights. There are plenty of people alive today who once hated him and yet, in American popular culture, he’s now a secular saint."

The Deal of the Convert: What Public Figures Lose and Gain by Switching Religions

Celebrity religious conversions link the public politics of religious affiliation and the internal motivations of faith. Historian Rebecca L. Davis's new book examines three prominent celebrity conversions and how they shed light on 20th century America. 

Ken Burns's Documentary Shows We Can't Quit Ali

by Jay Caspian Kang

"The odd thing about American sainthood is that we seem to prefer those who, like Ali and Jackie Robinson, did not engage directly in the dirty world of politics, but rather stood as trailblazers or icons in sports or Hollywood."

Ken Burns's "Muhammad Ali" Well-Crafted, But Not Groundbreaking

Ken Burns has an irresistable subject for his latest project. The problem isn't the quality of his film, but that so many others have gotten there first. 

DNA evidence links Muhammad Ali to heroic slave, family says

Turns out he's related to the slave used as a model in a famous Lincoln/slave statue. 

Recalling Muhammad Ali’s Vietnam War Resistance in the Age of Trump

by David Remnick

What makes modern athletes’ national-anthem protests different from Muhammad Ali’s resistance to the Vietnam War draft, and his insistence on the rights of African-Americans, a half century ago?

The Real Reason Muhammad Ali Converted to Islam

Muhammad Ali's public conversion to Islam, in 1964, was among the most defining moments of his remarkable life.

Ken Burns making documentary on Muhammad Ali

The PBS documentarian announced Tuesday that he and two partners will make a two-part, four-hour film about the former heavyweight champ, who died last June.

Muhammad Ali’s real legacy: From fanaticism to tolerance

by Jonathan Zimmerman

Ali transformed from a bigot in his younger days to a messenger of peace.

There’s Something Else We Should Remember About Muhammad Ali’s Comeback Bout with Joe Frazier

by Leonard Steinhorn

It was an event everybody in America paid attention to. In our fragmented media environment today that wouldn’t happen. That’s unfortunate.

Muhammad Ali’s fights outside the ring

by Peniel E. Joseph

Muhammad Ali found himself in many ways adopting the political radicalism of the times.

Who Was the Real Muhammad Ali?

by Randy Roberts and Johnny Smith

A self-interview with the authors of a new book, “Blood Brothers,” about Ali and Malcolm X.

Muhammad Ali and the Supreme Court Case that Redefined the Role of Sports Heroes in American Culture: Part 2

by Mark Weisenmiller

Ali’s victory at the Supreme Court.

Muhammad Ali and the Supreme Court Case that Redefined the Role of Sports Heroes in American Culture: Part 1

by Mark Weisenmiller

Ali’s controversial conversion from Christianity to Islam.

The Myth of Neutrality in American Sporting Culture

by Ron Briley

As you sit comfortably in front of your television before the championship game, take a moment to think about the images of militarism associated with the contest.

Muhammad Ali: The Hero Who Once Was an Enemy of the State

by Ruth Rosen

AS A FILM, the newly released"Ali" is riveting, but disappointing. Will Smith fails to capture the charismatic, larger-than-life energy of the extraordinary man who alternately mesmerized and antagonized the American public.