Eyes on the Prize II; Interview with Muhammad Ali

Mark one. Mark one. That's what you're saying. You got ready? Yeah. I came on having the first question. What were the lies of a hammer that Malcolm X saying that attracted you to the nation? When I first went to the Islamic Temple, we called him the Mime. I heard Malcolm X. But attracted me. He says, why are we called Negroes? Chinese are the names of the channel. Cubans are named after Cuba. Russians are the Russians. Germans are the Germans. All people in the country are called Negroes. That's the man. It's so true. He said, we don't have our names. If I say Malcolm, the mind's thing he knows to do, become the moon by Africa. You're going to change over time.

You're going to really come out in there. You're going to change over time. He could be black away. We all got the same name. We don't have our names. Their name doesn't sleep it. So I kept me in the name of a family-like moment. A moment early. And since I was sitting in the name of a moment early, I've been recognized and welcome all of the Islamic world. Okay, let's go. That's good. That was real good. That was good. Let's go for a medium shot. Next one. Mark, Mark, check. What was your first impression of Malcolm X when you first met him? My first impression was how could a black man talk about the government, white people, and so bold, and not be shy of that, talking about just a whole movement told the different from others.

And so bold. I actually say these things. And the only God must be protecting them. He's saying, do some of the things that never civilized our Christian do. There you can bond and beat up. And Malcolm has gone devils. And everything knows how to flag. Even so rare at that time. And yet, he won't with nobody else. It's fearless. That's definitely attractive. Great. When you joined the nation, did you think it would hurt your career as a boxer? Or you could turn about it hurting your career as a boxer? Well, I figured they're a freshman. If I revealed it. So I kept quiet for about three years. I sneaked to meetings, sneaking back to look around for the police. I was a freshman before I grew up. But after being a sign of this, I was getting more of a recognition in my power.

Finally, I was straight. I said, I'm more. I told them the night I fought this and I revealed it after that fight. So when had you joined the nation? In 1861, 564. So you joined the nation? Three years. I sneaked around keeping it quiet. I had to act in like I was crazy. OK. That was good. I'm really glad. We were ready. Watch this. Did you purposely act like you were crazy in those days? Well, I knew to draw money to make people, the people with rich people, mainly the white people at the time, cabarens as things. So I had to talk. I had to create a supreme.

I am the greatest of all times. I'm pretty. Talk to you every one of that. They said, the nigga talks to me. Niggas, these are women. So that's what made me so attractive. The black man said, I'm the greatest. So we were even told of that. We were told to black out the bad luck. If I threatened him, I'm black with you. In college, you get black ball. And black was black and black was good. Black was the bad and white was good. So me being black, I'm the greatest. I'm pretty. They gave me more people coming in. And put me on such a spot. I had to fight to back up the world. So I realized, black was supposed to be humble. Me. And then me being supreme. They showed us the white Jesus. All the law supples white. All the angels white. Miss America white. Tarzan King of Africa.

He's white. Angel King white, devil King of Charlotte. And here's the black man. I'm the greatest. I'm supreme. It's a great attitude. This meme is so hated by men and southerners. White and black. But just becoming a coward in different. There's some meme that's so popular. Right. That's right. When you fought Floyd Patterson, what was so special about that fight? What made you feel so good about that fight? When you fought over now, I'd not seen them bad about the fight. But he was different. He's different from me. So he wouldn't call me clay. He's a mama named clay. He wouldn't call me Ali. He's a mama named clay. He knows they clay. So I took that sense. I'm a wolf youth. Do you kill you? My name. And around one. That's something that you said.

It's around two. Around three. That's here real rain. He's a mama named clay. That's good. That's good. That's it. Mark IV. Now, the press conference in Miami in 66, you said, keep asking me no matter how long on the war in Vietnam, I sing the song. I ain't got no quote with the vehicle. Now, why'd you say that? Close to two. At that time, I could see you being around. The war is wrong. And my conscience wouldn't allow me to kill them people. So I really wasn't going to jail. Because the reason was the reason Floyd said I was right. Because they recognized me as the minister. What's your question? Why did you say I'm not going to fight the vehicle? Of course, I wouldn't.

And I didn't. And it was wrong. For America, I had trouble. And really was the war. It was just war. I couldn't. But I went down the road. Many people protested. So I went to jail. But me being so famous, he was publicized. But now I'm right. The war is wrong. We can be pulled out. And then they meet us there. I saw them. All right. Let's cut my... Let's cut it. Yes. To go through, to deal with the problems I had to deal. We had to deal with the country. You got three minutes? Yeah. Let's go. What? What fight? How did you feel about seeing other black men go over to be a fight in that war to come back to the racism in America? After I've been to the South side of the farm

and I just wish I could talk to them. I wish they believed like I did. Because they came back to... They weren't recognized. They didn't make out no fear. And I realized that. And I knew they would soon find it out. But basically, I just felt bad knowing that they went there. I mean, they got killed, got lain. And they didn't come back. They were concerned. No. Great. So I saw that early. I said, if America was in trouble, if you're overworking, I'll be on the front line, and then attack. But I could see they were right. And what happened to the boys? But I can't wait. When they got back, it's far the proof that I was right. It was good. It was good. There it is. Mark, Mark, sir.

The day you went for induction in Houston, that day in 60, 68, 67. What were you thinking that day? How did you feel? I felt happy. Because I knew I wasn't going. And people didn't think I had the nerve. They didn't have the nerve. The book, the draft board, the government. And I almost ran there. They heard it. I couldn't wait. I did still. And the moment I did it, all the boys looked surprised. The guy who asked me to stay at the step, looked surprised. And in the back room, they talked to me. They told me what's going to happen. If I go, I don't have to fight. I just do exhibitions and things. I told them I still won't go. Because there's lean more boys than deaf. And that says, I better go to jail.

And you'll ever get it. And I never did. I felt going to the world was watching. The blacks were mainly looking. If I had the nerve, the book all the same. And I just couldn't wait for the man to call my name. So I wouldn't step forward. I enjoyed the day. I loved it. And after I left, I looked up at him and I didn't go. He wanted to go. I said, if I had been deaf, I wouldn't have been deaf. I had no fight problem with the army. Some members said I'm going to get the nigga now. I'm going to get shot accidentally. I was just a controversial. Okay, it's great. It's great. It's great. It's great. I'm a bad nigga. Shit.

I said. I'm some male, watch the news. I'm a lemon, turn. So it's a season of lemon too. Okay. Mark's up. You're born. Why was it important to you, and I know why I want you to tell the audience, to change your name from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali? Why was it important to me when I first heard the teaching that when blacks came here, the people watching us in and they were watching us, so I'm part of it, so I'm part of it. He's already a European name. I met a brother that we had Da Sheikah, African rope, sandal, real black. I said, what's your name? He said George Washington. I have a friend named George. He missed the Clay here, when it's days they call Clay property.

So the Jones and Jones. These are the names that I didn't have as property in certain masters, but the day you free, you don't belong to Clay and Jones. So you know how you look going African, what's your name, George Washington? African's all in America. They don't look for Negro Christians to hang out with. They're all in Chicago, they're in California, Africans, other people. There's hell of a way man, look. What's your name? Change home. A way man named change home. That's Chinese. That's their culture, you know. So Nathunim Haranali, Hanson, they start saying the world's most known man. It's never cause a box. Sugar reals, the fly person, the children's, because the Muhammad Ali is an African, all of Africa. The names of Ethiopia, Morocco, Syria, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Algeria,

Saudi Arabia. Muhammad Ali is coming, our child. Muhammad is the most common in the world. There are more people in every third person, there's a Muslim in the world. So Nathunim, Muhammad Ali, and I felt, say this, fly person. In this corner, Muhammad Ali, the whole world's jump goes, there's a common name. You mean in America, we have a Muhammad Ali fighting. So, my father named him as a casual lady. His father named Cajun, my self-slaid. And my great-granddad, who was a slave, worked for the regional casual lady from Kentucky. So, we're not, I'm not no slave now. It's plain. So, I want to name, I want to name people, my history and my culture. It's so roots out of telling. He out of telling them, we have made slaves. He know that these, this happened, they took our lives. But

after making a movie, I was surprised to see, he still kept the name out of sale. So, if I say, here come, change your name, you look for channel. Here comes the moon, but after that. Here comes wine, sting June. Here comes morning, start ending. Here comes Milton Berger, German. Here comes Jones. Don't know what color is these in. So, we have a name. There's something about the American Black people still got slave names. And I heard that. I love truth, though. I was, I'll go from the church, a mosque, a son of God. I'll go from the Baptist, Catholic, Method. Okay, what's y'all? When I heard that truth, I didn't hear this. People watching the engine now got slave names, they're black. Muhammad Ali, you go right now, go to Syria, Indonesia, Africa, put a robot. They won't

know you who you are, till you tell your name. What's your name? George Washington. He's an egg roll. Man, nobody could knock with this. I challenge anybody watching the show. I mean, Barron sings a mission. Prove them wrong. If you're black, in the European name, that's not your name. Now, if you're in white people, the government of somebody tell me you're Muhammad Ali. You know, no, nobody never say this wrong. So, if you leave this country and go to Asia and Africa, all years, we can name Hassan, Omar, Ishmael, Elijah, Muhammad Ali, Akbar, ahah. These are names of dark people. So, we made slaves in America. And they took that name. But I people are so slaves. Men, we can hear this. You can hear them saying, I only made them enough. But you may keep your name, you leave here. This

is the known fact. It's a white man's slave name. You're free. Why don't I look in the book or something and pick your pretty name to fit your black people? Some people are dead mentally, dead men can hear. So once you wake up, we all want a beautiful name. My daughter, one name is Rashidah, that's Suyah, I'm Mary. One, two, and Jamilah. One name is Leyla, one name is Hanna, one name is Mia, Khalil. Pretty names that fit our people. So, that's why I changed my name. That's an answer. That's good. That's good. That's good. Let me ask them what I'm going to ask. And then she thought she would do her particularly for young brothers and sisters

back then. What kind of role model and image did you present for young black people back then? First I wouldn't think about myself first. Then my people, white people, with all of our people's brothers, mainly to my people. I like being who I was because they were probably on television. When I say I'm the greatest, I'm pretty. They made little black children people who felt like they were nothing. We got a champion. Look what he's doing. Look what he's doing. So, when they see they go to the store, they see White House, White Swan song, King White Song, White Cloud T-shirt people, White Mayhemians. It's a white tornado. It's a black. It's even coming, but they made the white. They see Jesus white, a lot

of stuff white, all the things white. There's some American white missioners. The main thing they read is, there's no white horse. It says they made white. It means for me to come on. I'm the greatest. Oh, I'm tired. They're so unusual. But I mean, they're the greatest. And they're following five and doing. This is what I use boxing to promote that idea. Many people see me day. So I feel so bad. When I was a kid, I was the way you helped me in the school, made me feel better. I get people they tell me that. I'm still the greatest. I'm all times. I'm all times. It's just that. It looks like it. It looks like it. It looks like it's here. It's perfect.