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ELIJAH MUHAMMAD:
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Cassius Clay.
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He was box office.
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Anywhere he went,
he could create a crowd.
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I was truly infatuated
with this man.
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You're standing in
front of my candelabra.
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From the first moment,
I was in love.
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Whatever you do, pay to get in.
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The civil rights movement
is just about to explode.
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Young Black folks are hungry
for something different.
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White America wants
Cassius Clay to be the good guy.
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He didn't know what Islam was.
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MARK: Hearing Elijah Muhammad
really gave everything
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that was going on in his
life at the time a purpose.
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THOMAS: The Nation of Islam
were thought of
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as an ominous, shadowy group.
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MALCOLM X: White people who
are guilty of white supremacy
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try and hide their own guilt
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by accusing the, uh,
Honorable Elijah Muhammad
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of teaching Black supremacy.
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ATTALLAH: While he was like a
younger brother for my father,
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he was a bigger brother for me.
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And it was stopped
right in the middle.
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When the Honorable Elijah
Muhammad cuts a man off,
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well, then, he's
automatically cut off
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with all of his followers.
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CLAUDE: He would not follow
a student of the teacher.
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He would follow the
teacher himself.
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- I am the greatest!
- All right, Cass.
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He is someone who says,
I want freedom.
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And I have to do that
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by tying myself
back to my identity.
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Whatever you call me,
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you're not gonna
call me out of my name.
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And from now on,
my name is Cassius X.
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I'm free to be what I wanna
be and think what I wanna think.
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♪
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♪
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[crowd shouting]
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A lot of these things
get lost in history,
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but the Golden Gloves,
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certainly then,
was the stepping stone,
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usually to the Olympics.
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And the Olympics, if you
succeeded, to a pro career.
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[crowd shouting]
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ROBERT: And Clay was
kind of on the cusp of
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whether he was really
gonna be able to do this thing.
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So the Golden Gloves
were kind of
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his graduation, in a sense,
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from being a...
You know, a kid boxer,
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suddenly, he was
on a national stage.
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♪
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ROBERT: I think Chicago
and the Golden Gloves
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was also one of the first times
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that he was really
out in the world.
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THOMAS: He meets somebody
who's selling copies
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of the Nation of Islam
newspaper, "Muhammad Speaks",
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on the street, and that's the
beginning of his introduction
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to the Nation of Islam.
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JAMES: The world is
beginning to hear about
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this group of Black men
who don't drink alcohol,
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don't use drugs,
open businesses,
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take care of their family.
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That was not the narrative
that white media was giving
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to the world and
to African American.
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MARK: For him to
hear these messages,
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how white supremacy
functions, right?
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00:04:35,908 --> 00:04:39,221
And to double back on
this idea that you, Black man,
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don't really know who you are?
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It's an incredibly
powerful message.
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Well, Keith, everything
looks set, forthright,
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for a wonderful
Olympic Games here in Rome.
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It certainly does, Sid.
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The next big thing
is the Olympic Games.
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[crowd cheering]
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JIM: Sitting there,
summer, no school,
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sampling the Olympics
on television,
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00:05:05,938 --> 00:05:10,052
and along came
Cassius Marcellus Clay.
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♪
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I had no preparation
for watching what I saw.
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Shuffled his feet,
emoted demonstrably.
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00:05:21,087 --> 00:05:23,056
From the first moment,
I was in love.
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ROBERT: He got
a lot of attention
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because he was kind of, uh,
the mayor of Olympic Village.
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JERRY: He got the medal.
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And he's sitting on these
steps in the Olympic Village,
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and he's holding a medal up.
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And the athletes are walking by.
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Now, I'm convinced half of them
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can't understand
one world of English.
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I'm Cassius Clay!
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I'm pretty!
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I'm gonna be the heayvweight
champion of the world,
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and you're gonna come
pay to see me fight,
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and you're gonna
blah, blah, blah...
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And they don't know
what the hell he's saying.
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00:05:58,725 --> 00:06:01,904
But I notice one thing which
made me pay attention to him.
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All the female athletes walked
10 feet past him, turned around,
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00:06:05,398 --> 00:06:07,076
and took a second look.
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00:06:07,100 --> 00:06:10,379
And I said, "There's some reason
to watch out for this guy!"
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[indistinct chatter]
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His exuberance caught
international press attention.
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Tell me how you came to get
such a Roman name as that.
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Well, as I understand, I'm
Cassius Marcellus Clay VI.
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And my great-great grandfather
was a Kentucky slave,
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and he was named after
some great Kentuckian.
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00:06:28,454 --> 00:06:29,798
I think the young Cassius Clay
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would have never
thought twice about
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whether or not his name
was a family name, right?
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Was a slave name.
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"Clay" was the
name of his father,
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it was of his parents,
of his grandparents.
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Since I've reached a
little fame in boxing,
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most people want to know
where I'm from and, uh,
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where did I get that name.
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But really, I haven't
really checked on it.
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So I see that I'm
gonna have to go look...
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REPORTER: You'll
have to look it up.
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See what it's all about,
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now that I'm getting
a little interviewed.
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That naming was the thing
that connected them to family,
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to community, right?
To a larger history.
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♪
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THOMAS: Cassius Clay
comes out of the Olympics
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with a gold medal,
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and white residents of
Louisville get together
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to back him financially.
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GREG: Here you have
11 white guys that represented
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the establishment of the city
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00:07:21,741 --> 00:07:24,820
that felt like they
wanted to protect Cassius
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00:07:24,844 --> 00:07:28,791
from the underworld
of the boxing industry
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and make sure, in their words,
that he would "emerge rich"
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from this once
all this was done.
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00:07:35,254 --> 00:07:38,834
I'm Will Faversham, vice
president of Brown-Forman,
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00:07:38,858 --> 00:07:41,403
and one of the founders of
the group of Cassius Clay.
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I'm also his manager.
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Now, you can look at
this and you can say,
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okay, these people took an
interest in this young man
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and wanted to make sure that
he wasn't exploited financially.
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00:07:54,674 --> 00:07:57,510
We wanna see that
people do right by him.
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I'm W. Lyons Brown,
the chairman of the board of.
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Brown-Forman
Distillers Corporation.
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00:08:02,648 --> 00:08:05,218
I'm also a farmer
and in the oil business.
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00:08:05,451 --> 00:08:08,197
Or you can say that this
is just a variation of,
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00:08:08,221 --> 00:08:09,488
well, we like horses,
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and we buy them and
run them in the Kentucky Derby.
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And now we've got a fighter
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and we're grooming him
to see what he can win.
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Of course, they wanted
to make some money as well.
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It was a 50-50 deal...
It was unheard of at the time...
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Where Cassius would
be receiving a salary,
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all of his expenses paid,
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so he didn't have
to worry about that,
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nor did he have to worry
about getting pulled into
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what was then a largely
mob-controlled boxing industry.
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ROBERT: When he came
back to Louisville,
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he kind of briefly
forgot where he was.
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Maybe he thought
he was still, you know,
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a gold medal champion in Rome.
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He couldn't go out to
dinner with these members
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of the Louisville sponsoring
group, these white guys.
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These are segregated
restaurants.
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They wouldn't even serve
him as an Olympic champion.
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He was an international hero,
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and that still wasn't
good enough for this place?
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W. LYONS BROWN: My mother's
family, they were the Clays,
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the same name as Cassius.
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00:09:13,486 --> 00:09:19,234
When the American Negro came
here as slaves, they went into...
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00:09:19,258 --> 00:09:21,937
They took the names
of the families.
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Our families freed,
way back there...
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We freed the slaves
in our families.
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But I'm not sure that Cassius's
probably great grandparents
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and some of my relatives, uh,
they were probably the owners
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of Cassius's great grandparents.
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CLAUDE: He would've been
raised in an atmosphere
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fraught with,
underneath the surface
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and not so underneath
the surface, terror.
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He would've grown up, uh,
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being told what he could
and could not aspire to be,
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and it wouldn't have been
a long list of things
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that would have been, uh,
expected of him as far as
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the possibilities of life.
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00:10:05,304 --> 00:10:08,507
He would have been
contemporaries
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00:10:08,708 --> 00:10:10,819
of people like Emmett Till,
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00:10:10,843 --> 00:10:13,546
who was lynched in
Mississippi in 1955.
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He would have been
contemporaries of
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00:10:15,281 --> 00:10:17,025
young Black people
who were the first
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to integrate the high school
in Little Rock, Arkansas.
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He would have been warned,
I imagine, by parents,
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00:10:25,958 --> 00:10:28,904
people in church
congregation, neighbors, uh,
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00:10:28,928 --> 00:10:32,040
about the dos and don'ts
of Southern race relations,
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00:10:32,064 --> 00:10:35,277
the sort of racial etiquette
that people had to live by
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in order to survive.
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♪
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00:10:43,816 --> 00:10:45,694
Cassius Clay needed a trainer.
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And the sponsoring
group asked around,
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00:10:47,686 --> 00:10:48,787
and they were told, well,
198
00:10:48,987 --> 00:10:51,266
there's a pretty
good trainer in Miami
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00:10:51,290 --> 00:10:54,769
named Angelo Dundee.
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00:10:54,793 --> 00:10:56,304
They made a deal.
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00:10:56,328 --> 00:10:58,873
Angelo opted for a weekly salary
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00:10:58,897 --> 00:11:02,143
instead of a percentage
of Cassius's purses.
203
00:11:02,167 --> 00:11:05,680
That was a decision
he regretted later on.
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00:11:05,704 --> 00:11:08,207
Clay trained at the
5th Street Gym in Miami,
205
00:11:08,407 --> 00:11:12,821
which was where Angelo Dundee
worked with all his fighters.
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00:11:12,845 --> 00:11:14,213
That was Angelo's home.
207
00:11:16,115 --> 00:11:18,960
5th Street Gym,
it looks like a gym.
208
00:11:18,984 --> 00:11:21,696
The windows are so dirty,
you can't see the street.
209
00:11:21,720 --> 00:11:23,732
The stairs to the
second floor creak.
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00:11:23,756 --> 00:11:24,899
You get up there,
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00:11:24,923 --> 00:11:26,158
there's a million fighters,
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00:11:26,425 --> 00:11:29,461
because they had all the
fighters in South Florida.
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00:11:29,695 --> 00:11:30,975
He gets in there, and every day,
214
00:11:31,063 --> 00:11:33,565
he is learning a little
bit about boxing.
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00:11:34,767 --> 00:11:38,279
THOMAS: Angelo Dundee
was the perfect trainer
216
00:11:38,303 --> 00:11:39,948
for Cassius Clay.
217
00:11:39,972 --> 00:11:43,318
He let Cassius be Cassius.
218
00:11:43,342 --> 00:11:45,887
The great trainers understand
219
00:11:45,911 --> 00:11:50,191
that each fighter
has different gifts.
220
00:11:50,215 --> 00:11:52,727
And with Cass,
it was to emphasize
221
00:11:52,751 --> 00:11:56,064
extraordinary
speed and reflexes.
222
00:11:56,088 --> 00:11:57,899
Angelo would say, you know,
223
00:11:57,923 --> 00:12:02,394
that was really great when
you threw your hook this way
224
00:12:02,628 --> 00:12:04,706
and you did it just like this.
225
00:12:04,730 --> 00:12:06,098
That registers with Cassius.
226
00:12:06,298 --> 00:12:08,400
He says, okay, that's
how I'm gonna keep throwing
227
00:12:08,634 --> 00:12:10,912
my left hook.
228
00:12:10,936 --> 00:12:16,117
He had a wonderful
block of marble to sculpt,
229
00:12:16,141 --> 00:12:18,377
but he knew how to sculpt it.
230
00:12:20,145 --> 00:12:21,723
ROBERT: One of
the great advantages
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00:12:21,747 --> 00:12:25,417
of having a great trainer
like Angelo Dundee
232
00:12:25,651 --> 00:12:30,365
was that opponents
would be selected
233
00:12:30,389 --> 00:12:33,735
very, very carefully.
234
00:12:33,759 --> 00:12:37,605
He was groomed through
his early fight.
235
00:12:37,629 --> 00:12:40,775
He fought a lot of, you know,
big, tough-looking guys,
236
00:12:40,799 --> 00:12:42,677
but they were... what were they?
237
00:12:42,701 --> 00:12:48,116
They were lumberjacks, and truck
drivers, and deputy sheriffs.
238
00:12:48,140 --> 00:12:51,219
Tomato cans, as
they're often called.
239
00:12:51,243 --> 00:12:54,155
And he, you know, broke
every one of those tomato cans
240
00:12:54,179 --> 00:12:55,990
on the way up.
241
00:12:56,014 --> 00:12:59,661
And they were also picked
for particularly things
242
00:12:59,685 --> 00:13:04,532
they could or couldn't do that
would teach him another lesson.
243
00:13:04,556 --> 00:13:08,937
Cassius Clay was never just
kind of thrown into a fight
244
00:13:08,961 --> 00:13:11,206
with somebody
who could hurt him.
245
00:13:11,230 --> 00:13:14,075
So it was... it was
brilliant strategy.
246
00:13:14,099 --> 00:13:16,401
They say that I am the
greatest that they've ever seen.
247
00:13:16,602 --> 00:13:19,204
Most people predict me, uh,
248
00:13:19,404 --> 00:13:22,116
as the type of fighters
Joe Louis was and a lot of 'em.
249
00:13:22,140 --> 00:13:24,085
And "The Ring" magazine,
"Sports Illustrated",
250
00:13:24,109 --> 00:13:26,478
and a lot of the other
nationwide magazines,
251
00:13:26,712 --> 00:13:29,114
class me over Floyd Patterson.
252
00:13:30,249 --> 00:13:31,826
MALE COMMENTATOR: The site
of the most lucrative fight
253
00:13:31,850 --> 00:13:33,928
in the history of boxing.
254
00:13:33,952 --> 00:13:36,030
27-year-old Floyd Patterson
255
00:13:36,054 --> 00:13:38,423
defends the heavyweight
championship of the world
256
00:13:38,624 --> 00:13:40,259
against Sonny Liston.
257
00:13:42,027 --> 00:13:46,231
Sonny Liston was
considered to be
258
00:13:46,431 --> 00:13:51,112
the closest thing to
Godzilla you had in fighting.
259
00:13:51,136 --> 00:13:53,848
This was a devastating puncher
260
00:13:53,872 --> 00:13:57,285
with a... a hostile aura
about him.
261
00:13:57,309 --> 00:13:58,620
He was scary.
262
00:13:58,644 --> 00:14:02,090
People went into the ring
to fight Sonny Liston
263
00:14:02,114 --> 00:14:03,858
and they were scared.
264
00:14:03,882 --> 00:14:06,451
This man is a bad man.
265
00:14:06,685 --> 00:14:09,998
He is really trying to hurt me.
266
00:14:10,022 --> 00:14:11,933
And he has the tools to do it.
267
00:14:11,957 --> 00:14:13,368
MALE COMMENTATOR:
Sonny Liston moves out
268
00:14:13,392 --> 00:14:15,737
to face the big chance
of a turbulent life.
269
00:14:15,761 --> 00:14:17,906
People respected
Floyd Patterson.
270
00:14:17,930 --> 00:14:20,875
People kind of liked
Floyd Patterson.
271
00:14:20,899 --> 00:14:24,879
Floyd Patterson was
clearly a literate man
272
00:14:24,903 --> 00:14:28,149
who had won an
Olympic gold medal.
273
00:14:28,173 --> 00:14:30,413
MALE COMMENTATOR: Liston's
heavy jabs bother Patterson.
274
00:14:30,642 --> 00:14:35,023
[crowd shouting]
275
00:14:35,047 --> 00:14:36,624
MALE COMMENATOR: A
left to a grazing right
276
00:14:36,648 --> 00:14:37,959
and a solid left
to the cheekbone
277
00:14:37,983 --> 00:14:39,961
dropped the champion.
278
00:14:39,985 --> 00:14:42,063
DAMION: Sonny Liston
demolished him,
279
00:14:42,087 --> 00:14:45,767
knocked him out
in the first round.
280
00:14:45,791 --> 00:14:50,262
That was the first time
that a heavyweight champion
281
00:14:50,462 --> 00:14:53,398
had ever been knocked
out in the first round.
282
00:14:54,199 --> 00:14:59,771
This made Sonny Liston the
most feared man in boxing.
283
00:15:03,342 --> 00:15:05,453
MARK: Miami was an
incredibly segregated city.
284
00:15:05,477 --> 00:15:07,455
And there was a Black
part of Miami, right?
285
00:15:07,479 --> 00:15:10,182
And this is important
to remember.
286
00:15:10,382 --> 00:15:12,022
And this is where,
you know, Cassius Clay,
287
00:15:12,351 --> 00:15:15,129
obviously one of the few places
he can live in, hotels, right?
288
00:15:15,153 --> 00:15:17,732
Because of segregation.
289
00:15:17,756 --> 00:15:19,667
Early 1960s Black radio,
290
00:15:19,691 --> 00:15:22,870
you would have been listening
to rhythm and blues music.
291
00:15:22,894 --> 00:15:25,506
Some of the early
sounds of Motown.
292
00:15:25,530 --> 00:15:27,976
You would have been listening
to some blues artists.
293
00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:31,145
Um, you know, a kind
of heavy beat music,
294
00:15:31,169 --> 00:15:33,405
not quite soul music yet.
295
00:15:33,639 --> 00:15:35,073
[radio static, tuning]
296
00:15:35,307 --> 00:15:38,210
MARK: And then suddenly you're
listening to Elijah Muhammad...
297
00:15:38,410 --> 00:15:40,021
MALE ANNOUNCER: Now we
have the honor and privilege
298
00:15:40,045 --> 00:15:43,124
of presenting to you
[unintelligible],
299
00:15:43,148 --> 00:15:45,093
the Honorable Elijah Muhammad,
300
00:15:45,117 --> 00:15:48,563
broadcasting to us
from Chicago, Illinois.
301
00:15:48,587 --> 00:15:52,834
Which almost sounds like the
voice of God in that moment.
302
00:15:52,858 --> 00:15:57,372
And the young Black folks are
hungry for something different.
303
00:15:57,396 --> 00:16:03,268
ELIJAH MUHAMMAD:
304
00:16:20,886 --> 00:16:22,630
If you're a young Cassius Clay,
305
00:16:22,654 --> 00:16:25,833
who has an incredible
amount of self-confidence,
306
00:16:25,857 --> 00:16:27,426
who's ambitious,
307
00:16:27,626 --> 00:16:29,103
who sees himself as someone
308
00:16:29,127 --> 00:16:32,106
who's going to make a
difference in the future,
309
00:16:32,130 --> 00:16:35,043
hearing Elijah Muhammad
really gave everything
310
00:16:35,067 --> 00:16:37,969
that was going on in his
life at the time a purpose.
311
00:16:38,970 --> 00:16:45,110
ELIJAH MUHAMMAD:
312
00:16:53,985 --> 00:16:57,799
Cassius Clay,
a young African American,
313
00:16:57,823 --> 00:17:01,102
growing up at the time
that the civil rights movement
314
00:17:01,126 --> 00:17:05,006
is just about to
explode in America.
315
00:17:05,030 --> 00:17:07,709
The white community set up laws
316
00:17:07,733 --> 00:17:11,236
that restricted the
African American community
317
00:17:11,436 --> 00:17:14,882
from exercising their
constitutional rights.
318
00:17:14,906 --> 00:17:20,221
He's growing up in segregation
in America at its worst time.
319
00:17:20,245 --> 00:17:22,447
There are a number
of organizations
320
00:17:22,681 --> 00:17:25,626
that were struggling, really,
321
00:17:25,650 --> 00:17:27,962
to address the
crisis over civil rights.
322
00:17:27,986 --> 00:17:29,864
Much of the leadership
would have been
323
00:17:29,888 --> 00:17:31,999
coming out of the churches.
324
00:17:32,023 --> 00:17:33,343
There was the
National Association
325
00:17:33,391 --> 00:17:35,737
for the Advancement
of Colored People.
326
00:17:35,761 --> 00:17:38,172
There was the Southern
Christian Leadership Conference,
327
00:17:38,196 --> 00:17:40,541
to which Dr. King,
Martin Luther King,
328
00:17:40,565 --> 00:17:44,612
uh, civil rights icon
and leader, was a part of.
329
00:17:44,636 --> 00:17:47,148
There's the Urban League,
which, as its name suggests,
330
00:17:47,172 --> 00:17:49,117
was involved in
improving conditions
331
00:17:49,141 --> 00:17:51,018
of African Americans in cities.
332
00:17:51,042 --> 00:17:54,222
And the Nation of Islam.
333
00:17:54,246 --> 00:17:57,225
My father was a preacher.
334
00:17:57,249 --> 00:18:01,629
And I used to sit and
look at him preach in faith.
335
00:18:01,653 --> 00:18:05,190
The early Nation of Islam
teachings
336
00:18:05,390 --> 00:18:07,969
really worked
along several lines.
337
00:18:07,993 --> 00:18:12,073
First there were
daily living tips...
338
00:18:12,097 --> 00:18:13,498
Advice, if you will.
339
00:18:13,732 --> 00:18:14,876
Don't eat pork.
340
00:18:14,900 --> 00:18:17,111
Uh, you dress a certain way.
341
00:18:17,135 --> 00:18:19,547
You present yourself
a certain way.
342
00:18:19,571 --> 00:18:22,617
That there was no such thing
as Heaven and Hell,
343
00:18:22,641 --> 00:18:25,953
which runs counter to
the teachings of orthodox Islam.
344
00:18:25,977 --> 00:18:30,658
That white people were devils
345
00:18:30,682 --> 00:18:34,252
and Elijah Muhammad was
God's messenger on earth.
346
00:18:36,621 --> 00:18:40,301
The Nation of Islam is very
flesh-and-blood materialist
347
00:18:40,325 --> 00:18:42,837
in their understanding
of what evil is,
348
00:18:42,861 --> 00:18:44,238
what good is, and so forth,
349
00:18:44,262 --> 00:18:47,241
as opposed to other
religious belief systems
350
00:18:47,265 --> 00:18:50,144
in which there is a
spiritual, unseen element.
351
00:18:50,168 --> 00:18:53,214
It's a thoroughly
American phenomena.
352
00:18:53,238 --> 00:18:57,251
The Nation of Islam
preached separatism.
353
00:18:57,275 --> 00:18:59,453
Elijah Muhammad
made it very clear,
354
00:18:59,477 --> 00:19:02,190
we tried to live with you,
you don't wanna live with us.
355
00:19:02,214 --> 00:19:05,193
It was totally at odds with
356
00:19:05,217 --> 00:19:08,763
the prevailing
integrationist sentiment
357
00:19:08,787 --> 00:19:11,289
of Martin Luther King, Jr.
358
00:19:11,489 --> 00:19:14,092
And other leaders of
the civil rights movement.
359
00:19:14,860 --> 00:19:20,699
ELIJAH MUHAMMAD:
360
00:19:28,940 --> 00:19:30,985
So if you don't wanna
live with [unintelligible],
361
00:19:31,009 --> 00:19:32,086
here's the option:
362
00:19:32,110 --> 00:19:33,345
Give us all that we need,
363
00:19:33,578 --> 00:19:36,123
give us a certain amount
of land in America,
364
00:19:36,147 --> 00:19:38,960
and let us build a
nation of our own,
365
00:19:38,984 --> 00:19:40,628
so we don't have
to depend on you
366
00:19:40,652 --> 00:19:44,632
and you don't have to have
a contradiction with us.
367
00:19:44,656 --> 00:19:46,934
White America wasn't about
to do either of those things,
368
00:19:46,958 --> 00:19:50,362
so the Nation had to go
about building a nation
369
00:19:50,595 --> 00:19:52,740
through buying land,
building farms,
370
00:19:52,764 --> 00:19:54,876
opening businesses,
opening restaurants,
371
00:19:54,900 --> 00:19:58,880
different kinds of
local mom-and-pop business
372
00:19:58,904 --> 00:20:01,306
in the Black community,
so that the Black community
373
00:20:01,506 --> 00:20:04,175
was indeed controlled
by Black people.
374
00:20:05,010 --> 00:20:11,149
ELIJAH MUHAMMAD:
375
00:20:14,986 --> 00:20:17,389
[Audience cheers and applause]
376
00:20:17,589 --> 00:20:19,700
CLAUDE: You know,
if you're Elijah Muhammad,
377
00:20:19,724 --> 00:20:22,670
and your argument is that the
whole thing is rigged, right?
378
00:20:22,694 --> 00:20:25,039
The whole thing is rigged
in favor of white people...
379
00:20:25,063 --> 00:20:26,183
You're not gonna get rights,
380
00:20:26,364 --> 00:20:28,175
stop asking them
for the right to vote,
381
00:20:28,199 --> 00:20:30,044
stop asking for
civil rights and so forth,
382
00:20:30,068 --> 00:20:31,512
because it's not
in the cards for you.
383
00:20:31,536 --> 00:20:33,814
The system is not capable
of producing that for you
384
00:20:33,838 --> 00:20:35,850
and it's not designed
to do that, okay?
385
00:20:35,874 --> 00:20:40,445
If that's your argument and
you're standing in 1959 or 1960,
386
00:20:40,679 --> 00:20:43,324
it's hard to argue
against that position.
387
00:20:43,348 --> 00:20:48,420
[applause]
388
00:20:52,223 --> 00:20:56,203
Their critique was a powerful
critique for a lot of folks.
389
00:20:56,227 --> 00:20:58,739
But I think if you're 18, 19,
390
00:20:58,763 --> 00:21:01,008
20-year-old
Cassius Marcellus Clay,
391
00:21:01,032 --> 00:21:05,370
and you're hearing the
Nation of Islam's critique,
392
00:21:05,570 --> 00:21:09,207
their critique itself was
the sharpest part of the sword.
393
00:21:12,269 --> 00:21:14,404
♪
394
00:21:14,638 --> 00:21:17,116
Cassius Clay's
true indoctrination
395
00:21:17,140 --> 00:21:19,409
into the Nation of Islam began
396
00:21:19,643 --> 00:21:23,356
when he met a man
named Abdul Rahman,
397
00:21:23,380 --> 00:21:25,925
formerly known as Captain Sam,
398
00:21:25,949 --> 00:21:30,363
who was in the Miami Temple
of the Nation of Islam.
399
00:21:30,387 --> 00:21:34,367
He was selling
papers on the street.
400
00:21:34,391 --> 00:21:35,935
They started talking.
401
00:21:35,959 --> 00:21:39,005
Cassius invited Abdul
back to his hotel room
402
00:21:39,029 --> 00:21:41,340
to show him his scrapbooks.
403
00:21:41,364 --> 00:21:43,500
And the relationship
went from there.
404
00:21:45,068 --> 00:21:48,471
JAMES: He didn't know
what the hell Islam was.
405
00:21:48,672 --> 00:21:51,150
But now he's being
introduced to it in Florida.
406
00:21:51,174 --> 00:21:53,152
It makes him feel
good about himself.
407
00:21:53,176 --> 00:21:55,187
And he's learning history.
408
00:21:55,211 --> 00:21:58,448
30% of the Africans that was
enslaved in the United States
409
00:21:58,682 --> 00:22:01,060
were Muslims before coming here.
410
00:22:01,084 --> 00:22:02,762
And these people
had family names.
411
00:22:02,786 --> 00:22:04,330
They had surnames.
They had a history.
412
00:22:04,354 --> 00:22:05,898
They had a culture.
413
00:22:05,922 --> 00:22:07,800
The first thing that
was taken away was identity
414
00:22:07,824 --> 00:22:09,426
and the first thing
to take away identity
415
00:22:09,626 --> 00:22:11,361
is to take away your name.
416
00:22:11,594 --> 00:22:16,175
They were not allowed
by threat on life
417
00:22:16,199 --> 00:22:19,436
to continue using African names.
418
00:22:22,172 --> 00:22:23,849
And to make you submit,
419
00:22:23,873 --> 00:22:28,220
you became the property of
the individual who owned you.
420
00:22:28,244 --> 00:22:31,281
And that meant you
took on their names.
421
00:22:34,217 --> 00:22:35,418
In the Nation of Islam,
422
00:22:35,618 --> 00:22:37,229
there's already
hundreds of thousands
423
00:22:37,253 --> 00:22:39,965
of other Black men and women
424
00:22:39,989 --> 00:22:42,968
who have gone through the
process of getting a new name
425
00:22:42,992 --> 00:22:48,007
that would tie them back to
their ancient African roots.
426
00:22:48,031 --> 00:22:50,443
Give the slave master
back his name, okay?
427
00:22:50,467 --> 00:22:51,911
An X is better than whatever
428
00:22:51,935 --> 00:22:54,080
the slave master
had given you before.
429
00:22:54,104 --> 00:22:55,438
Just take the X.
430
00:22:55,772 --> 00:22:59,118
And ideally eventually you
would have an original name.
431
00:22:59,142 --> 00:23:01,153
That would have to come
from Elijah Muhammad.
432
00:23:01,177 --> 00:23:02,922
He bestowed original names.
433
00:23:02,946 --> 00:23:06,483
So there are people who could
go an entire lifetime with X.
434
00:23:08,118 --> 00:23:13,799
Captain Sam invites Cassius
Clay and his brother to Detroit,
435
00:23:13,823 --> 00:23:15,492
where the Honorable
Elijah Muhammad
436
00:23:15,725 --> 00:23:18,938
was making a major speech.
437
00:23:18,962 --> 00:23:21,240
And he's going to be
introduced, of course,
438
00:23:21,264 --> 00:23:24,467
by his national
spokesperson, Malcolm X.
439
00:23:24,667 --> 00:23:26,212
You are gathered
here this afternoon
440
00:23:26,236 --> 00:23:29,849
to hear the Honorable
Elijah Muhammad's message,
441
00:23:29,873 --> 00:23:33,319
which you knew in
advance was titled.
442
00:23:33,343 --> 00:23:36,055
"Separation or Death."
443
00:23:36,079 --> 00:23:37,957
Captain Sam took
them to a restaurant,
444
00:23:37,981 --> 00:23:41,026
where Malcolm X indeed
was preparing his speech
445
00:23:41,050 --> 00:23:42,485
for that evening rally.
446
00:23:42,685 --> 00:23:46,289
And there the two met
for the first time.
447
00:23:48,425 --> 00:23:51,494
Malcolm had no idea
who the young man was.
448
00:23:51,728 --> 00:23:53,062
But that's where the two met,
449
00:23:53,396 --> 00:23:55,474
and they seemed to have had
an impression on one another
450
00:23:55,498 --> 00:23:58,902
in that short and
very brief meeting.
451
00:24:00,870 --> 00:24:02,550
I think quickly they
recognized something
452
00:24:02,839 --> 00:24:07,052
in one another, and as time
moved on, they stayed in touch.
453
00:24:07,076 --> 00:24:11,857
My father had many people
in his life that would come by
454
00:24:11,881 --> 00:24:14,827
and who would be
nurtured or guided
455
00:24:14,851 --> 00:24:18,230
or where the
camaraderie existed.
456
00:24:18,254 --> 00:24:21,233
We're not asking you to give
us some money to make us rich.
457
00:24:21,257 --> 00:24:22,935
We put up businesses.
458
00:24:22,959 --> 00:24:25,104
The Honorable Elijah Muhammad
has set up more businesses
459
00:24:25,128 --> 00:24:26,872
than any Black man in America.
460
00:24:26,896 --> 00:24:30,500
For Cassius Clay
to be the student
461
00:24:30,700 --> 00:24:33,012
of the national spokesperson
462
00:24:33,036 --> 00:24:36,506
had to have had
enormous impact on him.
463
00:24:36,706 --> 00:24:38,083
He's not trying
to build churches.
464
00:24:38,107 --> 00:24:40,453
He's trying to build,
uh, businesses,
465
00:24:40,477 --> 00:24:42,888
'cause businesses
make jobs for you
466
00:24:42,912 --> 00:24:45,715
and churches don't make jobs
for anybody but preachers.
467
00:24:47,217 --> 00:24:48,585
ATTALLAH: Cassius Clay
468
00:24:48,918 --> 00:24:51,864
I mean, he had a million and
one questions all the time.
469
00:24:51,888 --> 00:24:53,933
And my father didn't all...
Have all those answers,
470
00:24:53,957 --> 00:24:57,169
but he was along the way
for those... that journey.
471
00:24:57,193 --> 00:25:02,365
[audience applause]
472
00:25:04,067 --> 00:25:05,945
GREG: The Nation, what
it represented, I believe,
473
00:25:05,969 --> 00:25:06,880
to white America,
474
00:25:06,904 --> 00:25:08,948
was a group of Black dudes,
475
00:25:08,972 --> 00:25:12,818
you know, plotting
against white America.
476
00:25:12,842 --> 00:25:15,154
And obviously white America,
white men in particular,
477
00:25:15,178 --> 00:25:16,989
had been calling the
shots for a long time.
478
00:25:17,013 --> 00:25:18,924
And they wanted
to hold on to that.
479
00:25:18,948 --> 00:25:21,494
So they would look at any
kind of threat against that
480
00:25:21,518 --> 00:25:23,095
as something to become
concerned about,
481
00:25:23,119 --> 00:25:25,388
and certainly the Nation
they perceived as a threat.
482
00:25:26,990 --> 00:25:32,238
ROBERT: Being aligned
with these scary people
483
00:25:32,262 --> 00:25:37,443
drove a lot of basically
magazine and newspaper writers
484
00:25:37,467 --> 00:25:41,247
to try to pry out
of Cassius, uh,
485
00:25:41,271 --> 00:25:46,543
his affiliation with Malcolm and
Nation of Islam, but he didn't...
486
00:25:46,743 --> 00:25:48,087
He just didn't talk about it.
487
00:25:48,111 --> 00:25:49,822
He wouldn't talk about it.
488
00:25:49,846 --> 00:25:51,857
He didn't hide it in
terms of his activity.
489
00:25:51,881 --> 00:25:53,550
He moved around.
He went to meetings.
490
00:25:53,750 --> 00:25:55,585
He read, he discovered.
491
00:25:55,818 --> 00:25:57,997
And their people
just said, lay low.
492
00:25:58,021 --> 00:26:03,960
♪
493
00:26:05,261 --> 00:26:12,144
♪
494
00:26:12,168 --> 00:26:15,281
THOMAS: Cassius Clay
fights Doug Jones in New York
495
00:26:15,305 --> 00:26:17,182
at Madison Square Garden.
496
00:26:17,206 --> 00:26:22,121
In those days, the way you
sold a fight to the public,
497
00:26:22,145 --> 00:26:26,225
the way you sold tickets,
was through the newspapers.
498
00:26:26,249 --> 00:26:29,185
And what happens?
There's a newspaper strike.
499
00:26:30,320 --> 00:26:34,833
Cassius Clay was extraordinary
during that time.
500
00:26:34,857 --> 00:26:38,304
He went down to coffeehouses
in Greenwich Village
501
00:26:38,328 --> 00:26:40,472
and recited poetry.
502
00:26:40,496 --> 00:26:42,107
He got on radio.
503
00:26:42,131 --> 00:26:44,076
He got on television.
504
00:26:44,100 --> 00:26:47,012
And the bottom line
was that fight,
505
00:26:47,036 --> 00:26:51,283
in the middle of a
newspaper strike, sold out.
506
00:26:51,307 --> 00:26:53,419
He was the coming fighter.
507
00:26:53,443 --> 00:26:56,555
He was box office.
508
00:26:56,579 --> 00:26:58,023
Well, Cassius, they
say that the Garden
509
00:26:58,047 --> 00:26:59,959
is gonna be filled
for this event.
510
00:26:59,983 --> 00:27:03,162
Uh, why do you think that,
uh, you were able to do that?
511
00:27:03,186 --> 00:27:06,198
Because the main attraction
will be Cassius Clay,
512
00:27:06,222 --> 00:27:07,523
The Louisville Lip,
513
00:27:07,824 --> 00:27:11,103
and he has predicted that
Doug Jones must fall in six.
514
00:27:11,127 --> 00:27:16,342
It was an extraordinary
marketing performance
515
00:27:16,366 --> 00:27:17,876
by Cassius Clay.
516
00:27:17,900 --> 00:27:20,179
This will be the 12th
straight prediction.
517
00:27:20,203 --> 00:27:21,847
And people would like to...
518
00:27:21,871 --> 00:27:24,550
Just to come to see if
this guy is really human.
519
00:27:24,574 --> 00:27:28,187
Cassius Clay was
always fun to watch.
520
00:27:28,211 --> 00:27:31,857
He was fun to watch
just sitting there.
521
00:27:31,881 --> 00:27:36,019
I mean, he was certainly
fun to watch in the ring.
522
00:27:37,453 --> 00:27:38,897
It was a kind of...
523
00:27:38,921 --> 00:27:42,701
Part of that
following that watched
524
00:27:42,725 --> 00:27:47,664
because they were waiting for
something bad to happen to him.
525
00:27:47,897 --> 00:27:52,578
Introducing, from
Louisville, Kentucky.
526
00:27:52,602 --> 00:27:55,147
He's wearing white trunks.
527
00:27:55,171 --> 00:28:00,119
He weighs 202 1/2 pounds.
528
00:28:00,143 --> 00:28:03,055
Cassius Clay. Clay.
529
00:28:03,079 --> 00:28:08,027
Doug Jones was a
good, tough fighter.
530
00:28:08,051 --> 00:28:10,529
The things that Clay had
done that bothered other guys
531
00:28:10,553 --> 00:28:13,265
didn't seem to
bother Doug Jones.
532
00:28:13,289 --> 00:28:14,933
MALE COMMENTATOR: Cassius
Clay has [unintelligible].
533
00:28:14,957 --> 00:28:17,970
He's in the white trunks, 6'3.
534
00:28:17,994 --> 00:28:20,596
Watch his speedy left hand.
He's got a beauty.
535
00:28:20,797 --> 00:28:23,375
And here you have a
standing room crowd only
536
00:28:23,399 --> 00:28:24,600
at Madison Square Garden,
537
00:28:24,801 --> 00:28:27,603
which is credit to
this 21-year-older.
538
00:28:27,804 --> 00:28:29,404
As I'm watching,
I'm scoring the fight,
539
00:28:29,572 --> 00:28:32,918
and I'm thinking, "Oh my god,
this is... this isn't even fun."
540
00:28:32,942 --> 00:28:34,953
MALE COMMENTATOR:
Jones in black, 188.
541
00:28:34,977 --> 00:28:36,612
[unintelligible],
and there it is.
542
00:28:36,846 --> 00:28:41,250
[crowd cheering, whistling]
543
00:28:46,122 --> 00:28:48,567
MALE COMMENTATOR:
A good, solid run.
544
00:28:48,591 --> 00:28:51,627
- This is scary, come on.
- Come on, Cassius.
545
00:28:51,828 --> 00:28:54,339
Get your act together.
546
00:28:54,363 --> 00:28:57,910
MALE COMMENTATOR:
Good one too by Clay.
547
00:28:57,934 --> 00:29:00,446
45 seconds left in the round.
548
00:29:00,470 --> 00:29:01,637
Clay, in white,
549
00:29:01,871 --> 00:29:04,016
originally predicted
a knockout in six.
550
00:29:04,040 --> 00:29:06,552
But then he decided
to cut it down to four.
551
00:29:06,576 --> 00:29:08,954
This is the fourth round.
552
00:29:08,978 --> 00:29:12,958
My sense is that Cassius liked
to make good on his predictions.
553
00:29:12,982 --> 00:29:17,386
But he also understood
that boxing is a serious game
554
00:29:17,587 --> 00:29:20,532
and saying something doesn't
mean that you can do it.
555
00:29:20,556 --> 00:29:23,302
[crowd jeering]
556
00:29:23,326 --> 00:29:26,004
MALE COMMENTATOR:
15 seconds to go.
557
00:29:26,028 --> 00:29:29,374
Fans are probably booing
about the prediction.
558
00:29:29,398 --> 00:29:30,442
[bell rings]
559
00:29:30,466 --> 00:29:34,670
[crowd cheering]
560
00:29:39,375 --> 00:29:41,286
MALE COMMENATOR:
Well, there's always
561
00:29:41,310 --> 00:29:44,623
the possibility of a draw
at Madison Square Garden.
562
00:29:44,647 --> 00:29:46,682
GREG: He won a close decision.
563
00:29:46,883 --> 00:29:51,354
5-4, 1 even, in favor of Clay.
564
00:29:53,656 --> 00:29:56,235
JERRY: A lot of people at
ringside don't even watch.
565
00:29:56,259 --> 00:29:59,404
He never showed a
command in a fight.
566
00:29:59,428 --> 00:30:00,563
It was a close fight,
567
00:30:00,830 --> 00:30:02,441
so if you wanna
flip one or two rounds,
568
00:30:02,465 --> 00:30:04,042
he just got the fight.
569
00:30:04,066 --> 00:30:05,344
Well, he sure didn't
look like a contender
570
00:30:05,368 --> 00:30:07,904
for the heavyweight
championship.
571
00:30:11,225 --> 00:30:13,660
♪
572
00:30:13,860 --> 00:30:16,105
JAMES: Malcolm X
is at the fight.
573
00:30:16,129 --> 00:30:20,009
He has become a
mentor to young Clay.
574
00:30:20,033 --> 00:30:21,768
CLAUDE: Malcolm X is
born Malcolm Little.
575
00:30:22,002 --> 00:30:25,739
He's from, uh, Omaha, Nebraska,
born there in 1925.
576
00:30:25,939 --> 00:30:28,384
His father dies at
a very early age.
577
00:30:28,408 --> 00:30:31,421
Uh, Malcolm believes he
was killed by Klansmen.
578
00:30:31,445 --> 00:30:34,748
His mother is institutionalized
for mental health issues,
579
00:30:34,948 --> 00:30:36,426
uh, while he was a youth.
580
00:30:36,450 --> 00:30:38,494
His family is scattered
into foster homes,
581
00:30:38,518 --> 00:30:39,720
he and his brothers.
582
00:30:39,920 --> 00:30:41,297
He gets in trouble with the law.
583
00:30:41,321 --> 00:30:44,500
He serves about a
seven-year term in prison.
584
00:30:44,524 --> 00:30:46,827
And it's there that one of
his brothers introduces him
585
00:30:47,060 --> 00:30:50,273
to the Nation of Islam
and its theology.
586
00:30:50,297 --> 00:30:54,244
When he comes out, uh,
in the early 1950s,
587
00:30:54,268 --> 00:30:57,938
he's a dedicated true believer
in Elijah Muhammad's message.
588
00:30:58,705 --> 00:31:04,845
ELIJAH MUHAMMAD:
589
00:31:20,661 --> 00:31:22,338
♪
590
00:31:22,362 --> 00:31:26,075
So much of the focus was on
this charismatic, you know,
591
00:31:26,099 --> 00:31:30,213
6'6, red hair spokesperson,
you know, Malcolm X.
592
00:31:30,237 --> 00:31:31,748
The Black people in this country
593
00:31:31,772 --> 00:31:33,052
have been the
victims of violence
594
00:31:33,173 --> 00:31:35,385
at the hands of the
white man for 400 years.
595
00:31:35,409 --> 00:31:38,612
And following the
ignorant Negro preachers,
596
00:31:38,845 --> 00:31:41,758
we have thought that it was
godlike to turn the other cheek
597
00:31:41,782 --> 00:31:43,493
to the brute that
was brutalizing us.
598
00:31:43,517 --> 00:31:45,695
And in the time
when folks thought that
599
00:31:45,719 --> 00:31:47,764
Martin Luther King
was too radical,
600
00:31:47,788 --> 00:31:49,432
in many of their minds, right,
601
00:31:49,456 --> 00:31:51,167
Malcolm X was even worse.
602
00:31:51,191 --> 00:31:52,468
Today the Honorable
Elijah Muhammad
603
00:31:52,492 --> 00:31:54,404
is showing Black
people in this country
604
00:31:54,428 --> 00:31:57,073
that just as the white man and
every other person on this earth
605
00:31:57,097 --> 00:32:00,410
has God-given rights,
natural rights, civil rights,
606
00:32:00,434 --> 00:32:02,111
any kind of rights
that you can think of
607
00:32:02,135 --> 00:32:03,713
when it comes to
defending himself,
608
00:32:03,737 --> 00:32:05,148
Black people should have...
609
00:32:05,172 --> 00:32:07,283
We should have the right
to defend ourselves also.
610
00:32:07,307 --> 00:32:10,420
My father was not one to
directly recruit anyone.
611
00:32:10,444 --> 00:32:13,656
He would speak to those who
were already interested.
612
00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:16,259
He adored Cassius
Clay at the time.
613
00:32:16,283 --> 00:32:17,751
They were in touch all the time.
614
00:32:18,051 --> 00:32:19,562
The conversations, you know,
to the house in Queens
615
00:32:19,586 --> 00:32:22,823
and me being able to
speak to him on the phone.
616
00:32:23,023 --> 00:32:27,136
And my father, being
17 years older than him,
617
00:32:27,160 --> 00:32:30,831
was ahead of the curve
in terms of seeing what,
618
00:32:31,031 --> 00:32:33,543
um, was around the bend.
619
00:32:33,567 --> 00:32:37,604
By that time, my father was
already a global citizen.
620
00:32:37,804 --> 00:32:41,384
My father's interest in the
African American well-being
621
00:32:41,408 --> 00:32:43,653
did not start with
the Nation of Islam.
622
00:32:43,677 --> 00:32:45,254
He was born into it.
623
00:32:45,278 --> 00:32:46,646
It's already in motion.
624
00:32:46,947 --> 00:32:50,426
It's not hatched because you
enter one entity or another.
625
00:32:50,450 --> 00:32:55,288
♪
626
00:32:56,123 --> 00:32:59,369
[clock ticking]
627
00:32:59,393 --> 00:33:00,737
MALE NARRATOR:
Several police agencies
628
00:33:00,761 --> 00:33:02,562
were watching the
Muslims closely.
629
00:33:02,763 --> 00:33:06,299
The US Justice Department also
had them under surveillance.
630
00:33:10,404 --> 00:33:11,614
CLAUDE: So everyone's
investigating
631
00:33:11,638 --> 00:33:12,715
the Nation of Islam.
632
00:33:12,739 --> 00:33:14,317
The FBI has the biggest file.
633
00:33:14,341 --> 00:33:17,520
One part of this censure
of the Nation of Islam
634
00:33:17,544 --> 00:33:20,223
is that occasionally
they raid a mosque,
635
00:33:20,247 --> 00:33:22,191
uh, just to, you
know, show who's boss.
636
00:33:22,215 --> 00:33:25,428
So this happened
in the LA mosque.
637
00:33:25,452 --> 00:33:29,532
And one person,
Ronald Stokes, was killed.
638
00:33:29,556 --> 00:33:32,435
In Los Angeles,
California last year,
639
00:33:32,459 --> 00:33:35,538
the police shot Ronald
Stokes through the heart.
640
00:33:35,562 --> 00:33:38,832
There were those Muslims
who demanded
641
00:33:39,032 --> 00:33:40,333
as they would, you know,
642
00:33:40,567 --> 00:33:43,579
they'd point to Old
Testament biblical justice,
643
00:33:43,603 --> 00:33:44,738
eye for an eye.
644
00:33:45,005 --> 00:33:47,150
They kill one of us,
we kill one of them.
645
00:33:47,174 --> 00:33:51,421
JAMES: Malcolm wanted
to take it to the streets.
646
00:33:51,445 --> 00:33:54,657
The Messenger told them, no,
that's not the way we do this.
647
00:33:54,681 --> 00:33:56,025
We are a spiritual people.
648
00:33:56,049 --> 00:33:58,161
This is a spiritual community.
649
00:33:58,185 --> 00:34:00,329
We will take it Allah,
650
00:34:00,353 --> 00:34:04,567
and the power of Allah will
deal with these, uh, devils
651
00:34:04,591 --> 00:34:08,304
for what they have
done to Brother Stokes.
652
00:34:08,328 --> 00:34:11,707
CLAUDE: It's a fissure
within the Nation of Islam.
653
00:34:11,731 --> 00:34:13,242
Elijah Muhammad says, wait.
654
00:34:13,266 --> 00:34:15,144
The devil's going to
get his comeuppance.
655
00:34:15,168 --> 00:34:17,580
We have to wait for
Allah to work this out
656
00:34:17,604 --> 00:34:20,149
in his own good time.
We can't be premature.
657
00:34:20,173 --> 00:34:21,408
And then there are others,
658
00:34:21,641 --> 00:34:24,120
and Malcolm X I think
leaned in this direction,
659
00:34:24,144 --> 00:34:27,356
that said, all this
talk about Black manhood
660
00:34:27,380 --> 00:34:29,826
and take care of yourself and
taking care of the community
661
00:34:29,850 --> 00:34:30,890
and protecting yourself...
662
00:34:31,117 --> 00:34:34,888
They came into
our... our sanctuary
663
00:34:35,121 --> 00:34:36,556
and killed one of our brothers.
664
00:34:36,823 --> 00:34:40,470
And we don't really want to
hear anything about patience.
665
00:34:40,494 --> 00:34:42,405
Elijah Muhammad never
talked about revolution
666
00:34:42,429 --> 00:34:45,241
or decolonization
or armed struggle.
667
00:34:45,265 --> 00:34:46,676
That was not his
Nation of Islam.
668
00:34:46,700 --> 00:34:48,435
That was Malcolm X.
669
00:34:53,373 --> 00:34:55,318
JAMES: At this
point, Cassius Clay
670
00:34:55,342 --> 00:34:59,322
has become a civil rights
spokesperson, in a way.
671
00:34:59,346 --> 00:35:01,457
I mean, he's talking
about being a champion.
672
00:35:01,481 --> 00:35:03,693
He's talking about knocking
out whomever he wants,
673
00:35:03,717 --> 00:35:05,194
when he wants.
674
00:35:05,218 --> 00:35:07,363
He's talking about how
proud he is of himself.
675
00:35:07,387 --> 00:35:09,532
He's talking about
how beautiful he is.
676
00:35:09,556 --> 00:35:11,658
And the big ugly bear
I call Mr. Liston.
677
00:35:11,858 --> 00:35:13,836
He's too ugly to be the
world's heavyweight champion.
678
00:35:13,860 --> 00:35:14,928
Women don't like ugly men.
679
00:35:15,195 --> 00:35:17,240
They should be
good-looking like me.
680
00:35:17,264 --> 00:35:21,668
And the press is going after
him for those statements.
681
00:35:21,868 --> 00:35:26,182
And so now he is having to
defend himself as a Black man.
682
00:35:26,206 --> 00:35:30,520
It's still rare to see
African Americans on television.
683
00:35:30,544 --> 00:35:35,358
Uh, sports, particularly
boxing, had an outsize influence
684
00:35:35,382 --> 00:35:38,685
on the way that people
saw... saw Black folks.
685
00:35:41,521 --> 00:35:43,866
MARK: There's no
question that Cassius Clay
686
00:35:43,890 --> 00:35:48,170
is a star in 1963.
687
00:35:48,194 --> 00:35:51,507
He was a prototypical
21, 22-year-old
688
00:35:51,531 --> 00:35:54,477
who had just come into celebrity
and just come into money.
689
00:35:54,501 --> 00:35:56,178
And he carried himself that way.
690
00:35:56,202 --> 00:35:57,604
Incredibly handsome.
691
00:35:57,904 --> 00:36:01,183
He had his pick and choice
of women at that point in time.
692
00:36:01,207 --> 00:36:03,085
Miss Dee Dee Sharp, we
understand you have become
693
00:36:03,109 --> 00:36:06,880
an admirer of Cassius Clay,
the heavyweight challenger.
694
00:36:07,080 --> 00:36:08,591
DEE DEE: I met him.
695
00:36:08,615 --> 00:36:11,227
I said, "Hi, how are you?
Nice to meet you."
696
00:36:11,251 --> 00:36:12,886
And he said, "You
don't know who I am?"
697
00:36:13,086 --> 00:36:16,365
I said, "No, I don't."
698
00:36:16,389 --> 00:36:19,335
"Well, I am the greatest."
699
00:36:19,359 --> 00:36:22,929
I'm like, "Okay. That's...
700
00:36:23,163 --> 00:36:24,674
Yeah, that's nice."
701
00:36:24,698 --> 00:36:26,809
Who are you gonna
be pulling for?
702
00:36:26,833 --> 00:36:28,902
Well, Cassius.
703
00:36:29,135 --> 00:36:30,680
Well, it's kind
of hard to say that
704
00:36:30,704 --> 00:36:32,915
with him sitting right here.
Is that the way you feel?
705
00:36:32,939 --> 00:36:34,116
She... she knows
I'm the greatest
706
00:36:34,140 --> 00:36:35,518
like she's the greatest.
707
00:36:35,542 --> 00:36:36,886
You can't name a woman
in rock-and-roll
708
00:36:36,910 --> 00:36:38,654
that sing like her.
709
00:36:38,678 --> 00:36:42,391
And he said, "Well, now,
give me your address."
710
00:36:42,415 --> 00:36:45,561
'Cause he... he talked crazy,
711
00:36:45,585 --> 00:36:49,398
but he was an intelligent
person.
712
00:36:49,422 --> 00:36:53,269
I said, "Okay, fine, all right."
713
00:36:53,293 --> 00:36:56,930
And that's when we went
out on our first date.
714
00:36:57,130 --> 00:36:59,809
My grandfather,
he was a minister.
715
00:36:59,833 --> 00:37:01,344
He was a pastor.
716
00:37:01,368 --> 00:37:02,936
My favorite gospel song...
717
00:37:03,136 --> 00:37:05,214
♪ Yes ♪
718
00:37:05,238 --> 00:37:08,942
♪ Jesus loves me ♪
719
00:37:09,175 --> 00:37:13,489
♪ For the Bible ♪
720
00:37:13,513 --> 00:37:19,428
♪ Tells me so ♪
721
00:37:19,452 --> 00:37:24,634
We were taught strict
rules and regulations.
722
00:37:24,658 --> 00:37:25,959
He did not play.
723
00:37:26,159 --> 00:37:28,471
My mom didn't play.
724
00:37:28,495 --> 00:37:32,341
You... you stepped out of line,
you got knocked out.
725
00:37:32,365 --> 00:37:35,011
My mother was so strict,
726
00:37:35,035 --> 00:37:40,974
she wouldn't even let me
and Marcellus go on a date
727
00:37:41,174 --> 00:37:45,779
until my brother came with us.
728
00:37:45,979 --> 00:37:50,893
He came in here in this
limousine with a chauffeur
729
00:37:50,917 --> 00:37:52,795
and he rang the doorbell.
730
00:37:52,819 --> 00:37:54,363
[doorbell ringing]
731
00:37:54,387 --> 00:37:57,667
DEE DEE: And everybody
was crowding around the car
732
00:37:57,691 --> 00:38:00,503
because they knew who he was.
733
00:38:00,527 --> 00:38:02,962
They knew him as Cassius Clay.
734
00:38:03,163 --> 00:38:05,374
But I... I still didn't...
735
00:38:05,398 --> 00:38:06,442
[snickering]
736
00:38:06,466 --> 00:38:08,768
I was infatuated, I think.
737
00:38:08,968 --> 00:38:12,381
I don't know whether it was
love at first sight for him.
738
00:38:12,405 --> 00:38:15,618
But I was truly
infatuated with this man.
739
00:38:15,642 --> 00:38:20,213
♪
740
00:38:22,550 --> 00:38:27,531
♪
741
00:38:27,555 --> 00:38:30,400
Cassius was offered a lot
of money to fight in England
742
00:38:30,424 --> 00:38:31,959
against Henry Cooper.
743
00:38:32,159 --> 00:38:33,303
Let's go take it.
744
00:38:33,327 --> 00:38:35,672
It should be an easy fight.
745
00:38:35,696 --> 00:38:38,275
Cooper really was not expected
746
00:38:38,299 --> 00:38:40,677
to be competitive
with Cassius Clay.
747
00:38:40,701 --> 00:38:44,414
Cassius predicted a
fifth-round knockout.
748
00:38:44,438 --> 00:38:46,449
Oh, Henry Cooper's nothing
but a tramp, he's a bum.
749
00:38:46,473 --> 00:38:48,618
I'm the world's greatest.
He must fall in five rounds.
750
00:38:48,642 --> 00:38:50,987
But if he talk about me,
I'll cut it to three.
751
00:38:51,011 --> 00:38:54,491
[crowd cheering and applause]
752
00:38:54,515 --> 00:38:57,727
JIM: Oh, I... I saw
the Henry Cooper fight.
753
00:38:57,751 --> 00:39:02,990
And I learned a little bit from
that about what a trainer does.
754
00:39:03,223 --> 00:39:04,367
MALE COMMENTATOR: So here we go.
755
00:39:04,391 --> 00:39:05,759
The fight of the year.
756
00:39:06,126 --> 00:39:08,762
Clay from the right-hand corner
against Cooper of Britain.
757
00:39:08,963 --> 00:39:11,966
And Clay has said,
"I'll beat him in five."
758
00:39:12,166 --> 00:39:13,577
We'll see.
759
00:39:13,601 --> 00:39:16,413
Everything went as
he had planned it.
760
00:39:16,437 --> 00:39:19,449
He was beating Cooper with ease.
761
00:39:19,473 --> 00:39:21,818
Cooper was cut.
762
00:39:21,842 --> 00:39:23,153
[bell rings]
763
00:39:23,177 --> 00:39:24,654
MALE COMMENTATOR: So
the bell ends the second.
764
00:39:24,678 --> 00:39:26,222
So Cooper is cut
underneath his left eye.
765
00:39:26,246 --> 00:39:27,490
It's worse than a slight cut,
766
00:39:27,514 --> 00:39:29,817
so a couple of left jabs
on his left eye.
767
00:39:30,017 --> 00:39:32,862
Henry Cooper was
a valiant fighter.
768
00:39:32,886 --> 00:39:34,598
He had a good left hook.
769
00:39:34,622 --> 00:39:37,825
But he cut so easily, you know.
770
00:39:38,058 --> 00:39:43,139
If you rubbed a terrycloth towel
across his face, he might cut.
771
00:39:43,163 --> 00:39:44,774
MALE COMMENTATOR: Got his
left eye patched up now.
772
00:39:44,798 --> 00:39:46,576
[unintelligible]
with that left hand.
773
00:39:46,600 --> 00:39:48,511
And now he's cut
over the left eye.
774
00:39:48,535 --> 00:39:50,480
Henry Cooper is cut
over the left eye.
775
00:39:50,504 --> 00:39:53,841
And it looks to me like
a very bad cut indeed.
776
00:39:54,041 --> 00:39:58,188
Cassius was really fooling
around, extending the fight,
777
00:39:58,212 --> 00:40:04,127
so he could make good on his
fifth-round knockout prediction.
778
00:40:04,151 --> 00:40:05,795
MALE COMMENTATOR:
Sitting down at the ringside
779
00:40:05,819 --> 00:40:09,733
is one of Clay's
11 managers, Will Faversham.
780
00:40:09,757 --> 00:40:12,202
And he told Cassius Clay
in the interval,
781
00:40:12,226 --> 00:40:15,405
"Cut out the funny business
and get down to work."
782
00:40:15,429 --> 00:40:17,474
And Cooper's eye
already bleeding again
783
00:40:17,498 --> 00:40:18,799
in the fourth round.
784
00:40:19,133 --> 00:40:21,293
And then, of course, at
the end of the fourth round...
785
00:40:24,938 --> 00:40:29,419
[crowd shouting]
786
00:40:29,443 --> 00:40:31,454
MALE COMMENTATOR:
The bell has sounded.
787
00:40:31,478 --> 00:40:34,824
And he's up in
about three, Clay.
788
00:40:34,848 --> 00:40:36,693
That was the end
of the fourth round,
789
00:40:36,717 --> 00:40:39,896
and he hit him about two seconds
before the end of the round
790
00:40:39,920 --> 00:40:41,698
with a left hook.
791
00:40:41,722 --> 00:40:44,091
He took one cross too many.
792
00:40:44,291 --> 00:40:46,569
And he still
doesn't know where he is!
793
00:40:46,593 --> 00:40:48,571
He's still half out, Clay.
794
00:40:48,595 --> 00:40:50,707
They're working furiously
on him in the corner.
795
00:40:50,731 --> 00:40:52,409
Angelo Dundee, his trainer,
796
00:40:52,433 --> 00:40:55,111
he really is giving
him a talking to.
797
00:40:55,135 --> 00:40:59,049
Cooper hit him with
this hellacious left hook,
798
00:40:59,073 --> 00:41:01,075
knocked him down, hurt him.
799
00:41:01,275 --> 00:41:02,476
He was stunned.
800
00:41:02,743 --> 00:41:06,156
If there had been another
minute left in the round,
801
00:41:06,180 --> 00:41:09,883
Cooper might have been
able to finish him off.
802
00:41:10,084 --> 00:41:12,395
MALE COMMENTATOR: Clay
knocked down two seconds
803
00:41:12,419 --> 00:41:14,764
from the end of
the fourth round.
804
00:41:14,788 --> 00:41:16,490
And he got up
just after the bell.
805
00:41:16,690 --> 00:41:20,770
And he doesn't know where he is.
He's looking at his corner.
806
00:41:20,794 --> 00:41:25,208
When a fighter has been
caught with a huge punch,
807
00:41:25,232 --> 00:41:29,913
one minute is not sufficient
time to shake off the cobwebs.
808
00:41:29,937 --> 00:41:33,140
Old-school trainers like
Angelo Dundee, they know that.
809
00:41:33,340 --> 00:41:36,944
And now, uh, "Ref? Torn glove."
810
00:41:37,144 --> 00:41:38,955
MALE COMMENTATOR: And
something extraordinary
811
00:41:38,979 --> 00:41:42,659
has happened because referee
Tommy Little has gone over
812
00:41:42,683 --> 00:41:45,528
to the timekeeper
to ask something.
813
00:41:45,552 --> 00:41:48,565
If you look at the
full video of that fight,
814
00:41:48,589 --> 00:41:50,200
the period between rounds,
815
00:41:50,224 --> 00:41:53,536
which has been done
many times by many people,
816
00:41:53,560 --> 00:41:56,806
the delay was only a
matter of six seconds.
817
00:41:56,830 --> 00:42:00,067
And that really didn't
give extra time to recover.
818
00:42:00,868 --> 00:42:02,445
MALE COMMENTATOR: Out
they come for round five.
819
00:42:02,469 --> 00:42:04,114
And now round five
is the round in which
820
00:42:04,138 --> 00:42:06,349
Clay thought he would
beat Cooper.
821
00:42:06,373 --> 00:42:08,151
But now the crowd at Wembley
822
00:42:08,175 --> 00:42:11,588
have been willing to pay for
a Cooper win.
823
00:42:11,612 --> 00:42:14,390
Clay on the floor
at the end of the fourth.
824
00:42:14,414 --> 00:42:16,092
And now fighting to preserve
825
00:42:16,116 --> 00:42:18,585
his professional rank here
against Henry Cooper.
826
00:42:19,686 --> 00:42:22,999
And now Cooper was
seconds away from stopping Clay.
827
00:42:23,023 --> 00:42:24,968
And I think Tommy Little
will have to stop this
828
00:42:24,992 --> 00:42:27,003
because Cooper's eye is really...
829
00:42:27,027 --> 00:42:29,305
Well, it's absolutely
a terrible state.
830
00:42:29,329 --> 00:42:30,964
And Tommy Little
is looking at it.
831
00:42:31,198 --> 00:42:32,533
[crowd jeering]
832
00:42:32,833 --> 00:42:34,833
MALE COMMENTATOR: And
he's had to stop the fight.
833
00:42:35,002 --> 00:42:36,379
THOMAS: He'd just
beat Henry Cooper
834
00:42:36,403 --> 00:42:38,014
the way he was supposed to,
835
00:42:38,038 --> 00:42:40,250
opened up the cut,
the fight was stopped.
836
00:42:40,274 --> 00:42:41,584
[bell rings]
837
00:42:41,608 --> 00:42:45,779
[crowd jeering]
838
00:42:47,881 --> 00:42:55,881
♪
839
00:42:56,290 --> 00:42:57,591
THOMAS: Cassius Clay's goal
840
00:42:57,858 --> 00:43:00,127
is to become the heavyweight
champion of the world.
841
00:43:03,297 --> 00:43:06,276
But nobody thought he'd be able
to do it if he got in the ring
842
00:43:06,300 --> 00:43:08,278
with somebody like Sonny Liston.
843
00:43:08,302 --> 00:43:15,309
♪
844
00:43:16,443 --> 00:43:18,221
MALE REPORTER: We've come to
Las Vegas to see if Patterson
845
00:43:18,245 --> 00:43:21,558
can do any better than he
did last time against Liston.
846
00:43:21,582 --> 00:43:23,326
With Patterson,
you get the impression
847
00:43:23,350 --> 00:43:26,095
he's carrying the whole of the
United States on his shoulders.
848
00:43:26,119 --> 00:43:29,165
Patterson exercised
the rematch clause.
849
00:43:29,189 --> 00:43:31,434
I met the president
of the United States.
850
00:43:31,458 --> 00:43:32,559
And he had said to me,
851
00:43:32,793 --> 00:43:34,103
uh, "You want to try
to keep the title
852
00:43:34,127 --> 00:43:36,306
because you represent
something good."
853
00:43:36,330 --> 00:43:39,342
MALE REPORTER: In Las Vegas,
an eclipse of the sun is due.
854
00:43:39,366 --> 00:43:42,645
But almost no one anticipates
an eclipse of Sonny.
855
00:43:42,669 --> 00:43:46,907
[crowd cheering]
856
00:43:53,947 --> 00:43:58,361
Floyd Patterson got knocked
out in the first round again.
857
00:43:58,385 --> 00:43:59,629
Clay was at the fight.
858
00:43:59,653 --> 00:44:01,631
And he jumped into the ring
859
00:44:01,655 --> 00:44:05,602
and took the
spotlight from Liston.
860
00:44:05,626 --> 00:44:08,404
He violated all of the...
861
00:44:08,428 --> 00:44:11,674
The protocols of decorum.
862
00:44:11,698 --> 00:44:14,244
And he made Liston mad.
863
00:44:14,268 --> 00:44:22,268
♪
864
00:44:29,149 --> 00:44:33,563
November 22, 1963,
John F. Kennedy,
865
00:44:33,587 --> 00:44:36,699
um, the first and
only Catholic president
866
00:44:36,723 --> 00:44:38,468
until Joe Biden,
867
00:44:38,492 --> 00:44:40,737
um, is assassinated in Dallas.
868
00:44:40,761 --> 00:44:43,172
For many Black folks, you know,
869
00:44:43,196 --> 00:44:46,576
it's seen as the
death of promise, right?
870
00:44:46,600 --> 00:44:49,545
He was the first
white politician,
871
00:44:49,569 --> 00:44:53,082
really since
Abraham Lincoln, um,
872
00:44:53,106 --> 00:44:56,486
to really publicly embrace
the cause of Black folks.
873
00:44:56,510 --> 00:44:58,178
MALE REPORTER:
And now, the casket.
874
00:45:00,514 --> 00:45:04,394
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 35th
president of the United States,
875
00:45:04,418 --> 00:45:07,096
leaving the White House
for the last time.
876
00:45:07,120 --> 00:45:10,791
CLAUDE: The split between
Malcolm X and Elijah Muhammad,
877
00:45:11,024 --> 00:45:12,502
you could say it was
a long time coming,
878
00:45:12,526 --> 00:45:14,170
but it needed a spark.
879
00:45:14,194 --> 00:45:17,640
That spark was the
JFK assassination.
880
00:45:17,664 --> 00:45:21,511
Elijah Muhammad says
to his ministers,
881
00:45:21,535 --> 00:45:22,569
don't say anything about.
882
00:45:22,836 --> 00:45:24,805
President Kennedy's
assassination.
883
00:45:25,005 --> 00:45:26,282
We don't need
the heat, you know?
884
00:45:26,306 --> 00:45:28,351
If you go and say
something off color,
885
00:45:28,375 --> 00:45:29,619
you know, to the press,
886
00:45:29,643 --> 00:45:30,963
even though right
before his death
887
00:45:31,044 --> 00:45:32,279
we said all the awful things,
888
00:45:32,479 --> 00:45:34,490
the worst things we could
think about, about him...
889
00:45:34,514 --> 00:45:36,159
He's white devil number one,
890
00:45:36,183 --> 00:45:40,020
he was responsible for,
uh, the civil rights movement
891
00:45:40,220 --> 00:45:41,531
not making progress.
892
00:45:41,555 --> 00:45:43,056
Despite all of what we said,
893
00:45:43,256 --> 00:45:45,456
in this moment of national
mourning, don't say anything.
894
00:45:47,828 --> 00:45:51,174
JAMES: Malcolm had a meeting.
895
00:45:51,198 --> 00:45:53,309
People kept badgering him about
896
00:45:53,333 --> 00:45:55,178
what he thought of the
death of the president.
897
00:45:55,202 --> 00:45:59,115
And I thought he gave an
off-of-the-cuff statement
898
00:45:59,139 --> 00:46:00,774
that would have
been meaningless...
899
00:46:00,974 --> 00:46:02,175
Had it been anything else
900
00:46:02,409 --> 00:46:03,720
except the president
of the United States,
901
00:46:03,744 --> 00:46:04,984
it might have been meaningless.
902
00:46:05,012 --> 00:46:06,723
Malcolm say he
thought it was a case of
903
00:46:06,747 --> 00:46:08,491
"the chickens coming
home to roost."
904
00:46:08,515 --> 00:46:12,195
That is, just as Kennedy,
according to Malcolm,
905
00:46:12,219 --> 00:46:16,466
had done nothing while Negroes
were being killed in the South,
906
00:46:16,490 --> 00:46:21,104
just as he's exporting
violence to Southeast Asia,
907
00:46:21,128 --> 00:46:22,848
that same violence
and tolerance of violence
908
00:46:22,963 --> 00:46:25,675
just came back and killed...
Took the president's life.
909
00:46:25,699 --> 00:46:27,677
Um, Malcolm was disobedient.
910
00:46:27,701 --> 00:46:30,871
Um, that was a very...
911
00:46:31,104 --> 00:46:33,683
That was a statement
that was like
912
00:46:33,707 --> 00:46:35,685
throwing gasoline on the fire.
913
00:46:35,709 --> 00:46:37,120
MAN: Elijah Muhammad.
914
00:46:37,144 --> 00:46:39,155
Minister Malcolm did
not speak for the Muslims
915
00:46:39,179 --> 00:46:41,219
when he made comments on
the death of the president,
916
00:46:41,248 --> 00:46:42,582
John F. Kennedy.
917
00:46:42,849 --> 00:46:46,496
He was speaking for himself
and not the Muslims in general.
918
00:46:46,520 --> 00:46:49,365
And Minister Malcolm has been
suspended from public speaking
919
00:46:49,389 --> 00:46:51,091
for the time being.
920
00:46:51,324 --> 00:46:53,803
Malcolm X was silenced.
921
00:46:53,827 --> 00:46:57,807
And he suspected
that he would not
922
00:46:57,831 --> 00:47:00,443
be brought back into
the Nation of Islam
923
00:47:00,467 --> 00:47:03,279
and given his prime position
924
00:47:03,303 --> 00:47:07,374
because he was seen as a
threat to Elijah Muhammad.
925
00:47:12,412 --> 00:47:15,816
♪
926
00:47:16,049 --> 00:47:19,462
In the normal
progression of events,
927
00:47:19,486 --> 00:47:22,656
there would be no
way that Cassius Clay
928
00:47:22,856 --> 00:47:25,735
would fight for the heavyweight
championship of the world.
929
00:47:25,759 --> 00:47:28,471
He had not paid his dues.
930
00:47:28,495 --> 00:47:31,865
Nobody wants to fight Liston.
He can beat anybody.
931
00:47:33,233 --> 00:47:35,711
But boxing needed
the box office.
932
00:47:35,735 --> 00:47:39,582
[reporters shouting questions]
933
00:47:39,606 --> 00:47:42,876
ROBERT: Cassius Clay, he
did a lot of things, you know,
934
00:47:43,076 --> 00:47:45,855
stomping around Miami.
935
00:47:45,879 --> 00:47:49,325
He would go up to Liston's camp.
936
00:47:49,349 --> 00:47:52,795
"Oh, the big ugly bear!
I want the big ugly bear!"
937
00:47:52,819 --> 00:47:56,099
Anywhere he went,
he could create a crowd.
938
00:47:56,123 --> 00:47:58,701
DAMION: Liston got really upset
939
00:47:58,725 --> 00:48:01,862
when Clay showed up at his house
940
00:48:02,062 --> 00:48:03,830
late into the evening
941
00:48:04,030 --> 00:48:08,478
and sat on his front
lawn and berated him,
942
00:48:08,502 --> 00:48:13,483
called him names, and
challenged him to a fight.
943
00:48:13,507 --> 00:48:17,487
Liston decided that he was
going to make his title defense
944
00:48:17,511 --> 00:48:18,879
against Cassius Clay,
945
00:48:19,112 --> 00:48:20,590
and that he was gonna
teach him a lesson.
946
00:48:20,614 --> 00:48:22,792
Don't you have any
respect for him at all?
947
00:48:22,816 --> 00:48:23,793
As a fighter?
948
00:48:23,817 --> 00:48:25,528
As a fighter?
949
00:48:25,552 --> 00:48:28,865
I think he should be locked up
for impersonating a fighter.
950
00:48:28,889 --> 00:48:30,533
He whoops me...
951
00:48:30,557 --> 00:48:33,870
You tell it to your camera,
your TV man, your radio man,
952
00:48:33,894 --> 00:48:36,305
and you right there
in the whole world,
953
00:48:36,329 --> 00:48:40,309
if Sonny Liston whoops me,
I'll kiss his feet in the ring!
954
00:48:40,333 --> 00:48:42,578
Hell, out of the ring,
on my knee!
955
00:48:42,602 --> 00:48:43,904
Tell him he is the greatest,
956
00:48:44,104 --> 00:48:45,882
and catch the next jet
out of the country.
957
00:48:45,906 --> 00:48:48,542
[shouting, laughter]
958
00:48:49,442 --> 00:48:50,944
The drama
959
00:48:51,178 --> 00:48:55,625
was about just how badly
960
00:48:55,649 --> 00:48:59,819
this monster was gonna destroy
961
00:49:00,053 --> 00:49:04,024
this bubbling,
beautiful, innocent kid.
962
00:49:07,194 --> 00:49:09,863
JIM: My father died
when I was five years old.
963
00:49:10,063 --> 00:49:14,277
My Nashville-born,
Memphis-raised mother
964
00:49:14,301 --> 00:49:16,703
had an anti-racist consciousness
965
00:49:16,903 --> 00:49:20,850
that was certainly the position
from which she was raising me
966
00:49:20,874 --> 00:49:23,710
and my older brother.
967
00:49:23,910 --> 00:49:27,847
When I read in the newspaper
that Clay would challenge Liston
968
00:49:28,081 --> 00:49:30,917
for the heavyweight
championship on Miami Beach,
969
00:49:31,117 --> 00:49:32,452
my mother told me, she said,
970
00:49:32,686 --> 00:49:36,599
"That's going to be an
extremely expensive ticket.
971
00:49:36,623 --> 00:49:40,894
That's going to be something
that you and I can't afford."
972
00:49:41,094 --> 00:49:46,442
I began saving car washing
and lawn mowing money.
973
00:49:46,466 --> 00:49:50,846
Here's a very young,
Black, Southern man,
974
00:49:50,870 --> 00:49:55,284
who is using a slave name
975
00:49:55,308 --> 00:49:58,588
to taunt the white
establishment.
976
00:49:58,612 --> 00:50:03,726
You couldn't have fabricated
a more perfect hero
977
00:50:03,750 --> 00:50:08,121
for the 11-year-old Jim Lampley.
978
00:50:08,355 --> 00:50:12,335
♪
979
00:50:12,359 --> 00:50:17,273
THOMAS: White America wants
Cassius Clay to be the good guy.
980
00:50:17,297 --> 00:50:20,910
He's this charming,
entertaining, brash young man.
981
00:50:20,934 --> 00:50:23,346
[audience laughter]
982
00:50:23,370 --> 00:50:25,005
Uh, move that way a little bit.
983
00:50:25,205 --> 00:50:26,940
You're standing in
front of my candelabra.
984
00:50:27,173 --> 00:50:31,011
[audience laughter, applause]
985
00:50:32,679 --> 00:50:34,423
He's loads of fun.
986
00:50:34,447 --> 00:50:37,984
He's gonna come in and
once again, we'll, you know,
987
00:50:38,184 --> 00:50:41,297
have a guy, if he were to
become heavyweight champion,
988
00:50:41,321 --> 00:50:43,466
but he's not gonna become
heavyweight champion,
989
00:50:43,490 --> 00:50:45,601
because there's no way
he can beat Liston.
990
00:50:45,625 --> 00:50:47,637
But if he were able to,
you know, once again,
991
00:50:47,661 --> 00:50:49,905
we'd have a heavyweight
champion who's fun,
992
00:50:49,929 --> 00:50:52,441
we can enjoy,
and get along with.
993
00:50:52,465 --> 00:50:54,610
Ladies and gentlemen,
for those of you out there
994
00:50:54,634 --> 00:50:57,280
who won't be able to see
the Clay/Liston fight,
995
00:50:57,304 --> 00:51:00,407
here is the eighth round
exactly as it will happen.
996
00:51:02,776 --> 00:51:04,887
Clay comes out to meet Liston.
997
00:51:04,911 --> 00:51:06,980
And Liston starts to retreat.
998
00:51:07,213 --> 00:51:09,325
If Liston goes back any farther,
999
00:51:09,349 --> 00:51:11,951
he'll end up in a ringside seat.
1000
00:51:12,152 --> 00:51:14,597
Clay swings with a left,
Clay swings with a right.
1001
00:51:14,621 --> 00:51:17,266
Look at young Cassius
carry the fight!
1002
00:51:17,290 --> 00:51:18,868
DAMION: I think his appearances
1003
00:51:18,892 --> 00:51:20,503
on a number of these shows,
1004
00:51:20,527 --> 00:51:24,774
in some ways, it kind of
took some of the spotlight
1005
00:51:24,798 --> 00:51:28,201
off of his unique boxing skills.
1006
00:51:31,538 --> 00:51:33,749
♪
1007
00:51:33,773 --> 00:51:35,885
DEE DEE: I was in
San Francisco performing.
1008
00:51:35,909 --> 00:51:38,788
I was doing a show with, um,
1009
00:51:38,812 --> 00:51:43,083
Stevie Wonder, The Ronettes.
1010
00:51:43,316 --> 00:51:45,594
I was in my dressing room.
1011
00:51:45,618 --> 00:51:48,397
He said, "Well, y'all,
wait a minute, wait a minute."
1012
00:51:48,421 --> 00:51:54,003
And just had this box, and
he just popped out the ring.
1013
00:51:54,027 --> 00:51:56,672
I'm like, "What are you saying?"
1014
00:51:56,696 --> 00:51:59,608
And he said,
"Will you marry me?"
1015
00:51:59,632 --> 00:52:01,844
I'm like, I said yes.
1016
00:52:01,868 --> 00:52:03,479
I said yes.
1017
00:52:03,503 --> 00:52:07,516
The fact that he wanted to
marry me, it was shocking.
1018
00:52:07,540 --> 00:52:10,043
♪
1019
00:52:14,247 --> 00:52:16,759
In the last couple of
months prior to the fight,
1020
00:52:16,783 --> 00:52:21,664
I loudly trumpeted to
everyone in my neighborhood
1021
00:52:21,688 --> 00:52:26,435
that I was going to the fight,
and that I was going to be there
1022
00:52:26,459 --> 00:52:29,338
when Cassius Clay was
going to upset the world,
1023
00:52:29,362 --> 00:52:32,098
and, um, prove that
he was the greatest,
1024
00:52:32,332 --> 00:52:33,976
and become the youngest
1025
00:52:34,000 --> 00:52:35,945
heavyweight champion
of all time.
1026
00:52:35,969 --> 00:52:41,684
♪
1027
00:52:41,708 --> 00:52:44,720
My neighbors took
great pride and delight
1028
00:52:44,744 --> 00:52:50,025
in, uh, ridiculing
me and abusing me.
1029
00:52:50,049 --> 00:52:52,395
Liston was the real thing.
1030
00:52:52,419 --> 00:52:55,364
Liston was a
legitimate destroyer.
1031
00:52:55,388 --> 00:52:58,091
Liston was not a
talking pretty boy
1032
00:52:58,324 --> 00:53:01,795
like this show-off
from Louisville.
1033
00:53:04,230 --> 00:53:06,609
ATTALLAH: I had a
conversation with Cassius.
1034
00:53:06,633 --> 00:53:09,678
And he asked me had
I ever been to Miami.
1035
00:53:09,702 --> 00:53:12,038
And I said, "Nope."
1036
00:53:12,272 --> 00:53:14,216
So it was my
parents' anniversary.
1037
00:53:14,240 --> 00:53:17,052
So we thought, as a family,
that this would be a cool time.
1038
00:53:17,076 --> 00:53:18,654
And so since my parents,
1039
00:53:18,678 --> 00:53:21,357
while we had traveled
quite a bit,
1040
00:53:21,381 --> 00:53:23,359
they had never had
a honeymoon per se.
1041
00:53:23,383 --> 00:53:25,185
So we called it a "family moon."
1042
00:53:27,821 --> 00:53:31,634
JAMES: He came to Miami
as a guest of Cassius Clay,
1043
00:53:31,658 --> 00:53:35,671
um, who was his friend and
his student and his brother.
1044
00:53:35,695 --> 00:53:39,542
And Malcolm was suspended from
the Nation and he was silent.
1045
00:53:39,566 --> 00:53:41,811
And he was going
through a lot of crisis.
1046
00:53:41,835 --> 00:53:44,380
And so Clay invited him
to bring Betty and the kids
1047
00:53:44,404 --> 00:53:46,415
and come down there and
have a little vacation, relax,
1048
00:53:46,439 --> 00:53:47,874
get this off of your mind.
1049
00:53:48,107 --> 00:53:53,213
Malcolm was very much of
part of Cassius Clay's life.
1050
00:53:54,647 --> 00:53:56,249
ROBERT: And so
there were probably
1051
00:53:56,449 --> 00:53:59,762
a couple of opportunities
where they were seen together.
1052
00:53:59,786 --> 00:54:02,055
Somebody sees Malcolm X,
and recognizes him,
1053
00:54:02,255 --> 00:54:03,255
and writes a story.
1054
00:54:03,389 --> 00:54:06,569
Is Clay a Black Muslim?
1055
00:54:06,593 --> 00:54:09,605
Ticket sales [whistles]
right into the toilet.
1056
00:54:09,629 --> 00:54:13,709
For the first time, the
idea that Cassius Clay
1057
00:54:13,733 --> 00:54:17,446
might be a member
of the Nation of Islam
1058
00:54:17,470 --> 00:54:22,885
pervades the mainstream
press in a significant way.
1059
00:54:22,909 --> 00:54:26,722
And the promotion is starting
to get worried about this.
1060
00:54:26,746 --> 00:54:27,890
And everywhere you go,
1061
00:54:27,914 --> 00:54:30,149
the rumors are
persisting more and more
1062
00:54:30,350 --> 00:54:32,795
that this fight's
gonna be a financial flop.
1063
00:54:32,819 --> 00:54:34,099
Now, we're only
a few hours away.
1064
00:54:34,287 --> 00:54:36,632
Uh, you go along with this?
1065
00:54:36,656 --> 00:54:39,158
Well, I don't know what you
mean by a financial flop, Bob.
1066
00:54:39,392 --> 00:54:40,560
We may not make a nut,
1067
00:54:40,827 --> 00:54:44,106
but it'd probably be the
biggest indoor, uh, gate
1068
00:54:44,130 --> 00:54:46,099
in the history of boxing.
1069
00:54:46,299 --> 00:54:49,111
You wanna have a
good guy and a bad guy.
1070
00:54:49,135 --> 00:54:51,170
You know, Liston is the bad guy.
1071
00:54:51,404 --> 00:54:53,782
Cassius is supposed
to be the good guy.
1072
00:54:53,806 --> 00:54:57,386
Then all of a sudden
now, maybe, just maybe,
1073
00:54:57,410 --> 00:54:59,145
he's a member of
the Nation of Islam,
1074
00:54:59,379 --> 00:55:01,690
or he's certainly hanging out
with these guys.
1075
00:55:01,714 --> 00:55:03,659
Is there any one thing
that you can point to
1076
00:55:03,683 --> 00:55:07,062
that you've come to realize in
the last, uh, five or six days
1077
00:55:07,086 --> 00:55:08,497
that might have caused this?
1078
00:55:08,521 --> 00:55:10,857
The Muslim thing
might've slowed it down.
1079
00:55:13,092 --> 00:55:14,537
DEE DEE: My grandfather,
1080
00:55:14,561 --> 00:55:17,540
who had never been
on a plane in his life,
1081
00:55:17,564 --> 00:55:20,809
flew down to Florida.
1082
00:55:20,833 --> 00:55:25,481
He said, "But I wanna
stop you from marrying him.
1083
00:55:25,505 --> 00:55:28,884
He is going to become a Muslim."
1084
00:55:28,908 --> 00:55:31,644
It just didn't register.
1085
00:55:33,580 --> 00:55:35,591
ROBERT: One of the
promoters of the fight,
1086
00:55:35,615 --> 00:55:39,762
he sees Malcolm at training.
1087
00:55:39,786 --> 00:55:41,564
Calls him aside.
1088
00:55:41,588 --> 00:55:46,569
He says, "Mr. X,
I'll help you if you help me."
1089
00:55:46,593 --> 00:55:48,604
"This fight is
going in the toilet.
1090
00:55:48,628 --> 00:55:51,073
"And the longer
you're there at training,
1091
00:55:51,097 --> 00:55:54,100
"the deeper it's
gonna be flushed.
1092
00:55:54,300 --> 00:55:55,978
"Do me a favor, I'm begging you.
1093
00:55:56,002 --> 00:55:58,681
"Go home now,
1094
00:55:58,705 --> 00:56:01,083
"and I'll put you in any seat
in the arena you wanna be in
1095
00:56:01,107 --> 00:56:02,651
the night of the fight."
1096
00:56:02,675 --> 00:56:05,988
Malcolm was savvy enough.
He knew enough to do it.
1097
00:56:06,012 --> 00:56:07,756
And Malcolm went home.
1098
00:56:07,780 --> 00:56:09,592
I do recall my
father coming home
1099
00:56:09,616 --> 00:56:11,560
a little sooner than planned,
1100
00:56:11,584 --> 00:56:13,796
because of course
him going to Miami,
1101
00:56:13,820 --> 00:56:16,465
we knew he was going
to see my big brother.
1102
00:56:16,489 --> 00:56:20,703
And, um, the reason,
you know, people think
1103
00:56:20,727 --> 00:56:22,638
that my father was disappointed,
1104
00:56:22,662 --> 00:56:27,977
he understood exactly
why his presence
1105
00:56:28,001 --> 00:56:31,204
was a bit, um, tender.
1106
00:56:31,437 --> 00:56:33,749
My father was dedicated
to Cassius Clay
1107
00:56:33,773 --> 00:56:35,341
winning the fight
with Sonny Liston.
1108
00:56:38,411 --> 00:56:39,622
[indistinct chatter]
1109
00:56:39,646 --> 00:56:40,990
Well, I'd read all the stuff
1110
00:56:41,014 --> 00:56:44,760
about what had happened
at the weigh-in.
1111
00:56:44,784 --> 00:56:48,497
When the doors bang
open at the weigh-in,
1112
00:56:48,521 --> 00:56:51,500
and here he comes with
an African walking stick...
1113
00:56:51,524 --> 00:56:54,193
Bang, bang, bang,
where's the ugly bear?
1114
00:56:54,427 --> 00:56:57,039
Liston doesn't know what to say.
1115
00:56:57,063 --> 00:56:58,874
He went mad.
1116
00:56:58,898 --> 00:57:02,168
Joe Louis was flat-footed,
and Sonny Liston is flat-footed.
1117
00:57:02,368 --> 00:57:06,105
[unintelligible]
1118
00:57:06,305 --> 00:57:08,851
Very hard to take it seriously.
1119
00:57:08,875 --> 00:57:12,421
But the older reporters
who wanted to believe that,
1120
00:57:12,445 --> 00:57:14,923
he was so scared.
1121
00:57:14,947 --> 00:57:16,916
He was freaking out.
1122
00:57:17,116 --> 00:57:19,728
The doctor somehow
cooperated and said
1123
00:57:19,752 --> 00:57:22,631
his blood pressure
went through the roof.
1124
00:57:22,655 --> 00:57:27,193
And the general question
was, was he even fit enough
1125
00:57:27,393 --> 00:57:28,995
to fight that night?
1126
00:57:29,195 --> 00:57:34,000
The fight is $2500 for each
contract on the platform.
1127
00:57:35,101 --> 00:57:36,745
[indistinct chatter]
1128
00:57:36,769 --> 00:57:39,748
JIM: I got a pretty good ticket.
1129
00:57:39,772 --> 00:57:43,152
The vast majority of
white Miami... all of Miami...
1130
00:57:43,176 --> 00:57:45,721
Wanted Clay to lose.
1131
00:57:45,745 --> 00:57:47,956
In my opinion, the fights
are always won with fists
1132
00:57:47,980 --> 00:57:49,525
and not with mouth talk.
1133
00:57:49,549 --> 00:57:52,218
I pick Liston to win
by the fifth round.
1134
00:57:52,418 --> 00:57:55,698
JIM: A lot of
white people thought
1135
00:57:55,722 --> 00:57:58,157
this kid was looking
down at them.
1136
00:57:58,391 --> 00:57:59,735
They hated the idea
1137
00:57:59,759 --> 00:58:05,774
of a Black man saying,
1138
00:58:05,798 --> 00:58:07,876
I am the king of the world.
I'm gonna upset the world.
1139
00:58:07,900 --> 00:58:09,545
I'm gonna do whatever
I want to do.
1140
00:58:09,569 --> 00:58:11,547
I'm the greatest
of all time, etc.
1141
00:58:11,571 --> 00:58:14,717
Athletes didn't brag
like that back then.
1142
00:58:14,741 --> 00:58:19,178
♪
1143
00:58:19,378 --> 00:58:21,590
JAMES: Malcolm,
after leaving, came back
1144
00:58:21,614 --> 00:58:22,982
to be there for the fight,
1145
00:58:23,216 --> 00:58:26,562
because he felt that
the spiritual power
1146
00:58:26,586 --> 00:58:28,855
was on his brother's side.
1147
00:58:30,223 --> 00:58:32,601
ATTALLAH: My father
would make sure that
1148
00:58:32,625 --> 00:58:33,869
he trained him differently
1149
00:58:33,893 --> 00:58:36,939
than Angelo Dundee
or Coach would...
1150
00:58:36,963 --> 00:58:39,665
How to focus on
prayer and intent.
1151
00:58:40,566 --> 00:58:42,235
JAMES: The prayer rug is simply
1152
00:58:42,435 --> 00:58:44,780
a clean place to make prayer.
1153
00:58:44,804 --> 00:58:47,549
You take Wudu before prayer.
1154
00:58:47,573 --> 00:58:49,785
You wash your hands
up to your wrists.
1155
00:58:49,809 --> 00:58:53,188
You wash your face, you wash
your ears, you wash your hair.
1156
00:58:53,212 --> 00:58:54,447
That I'm coming before God,
1157
00:58:54,647 --> 00:58:57,159
and I would like to come
before God in my purity,
1158
00:58:57,183 --> 00:58:59,328
at least my physical purity.
1159
00:58:59,352 --> 00:59:03,165
It is really just focusing
in, like, today's mindfulness,
1160
00:59:03,189 --> 00:59:04,767
in owning the moment...
1161
00:59:04,791 --> 00:59:07,002
Not just proclaiming the
moment, but owning the moment.
1162
00:59:07,026 --> 00:59:09,972
And so there is a breathing,
there is a centering,
1163
00:59:09,996 --> 00:59:11,030
there is a focus,
1164
00:59:11,330 --> 00:59:14,267
there's a... a direction
towards the intention.
1165
00:59:14,500 --> 00:59:16,745
You're not winning just to win.
1166
00:59:16,769 --> 00:59:19,205
You have to remove
the ego in the process.
1167
00:59:19,438 --> 00:59:22,885
♪
1168
00:59:22,909 --> 00:59:26,922
[crowd shouting, whistling]
1169
00:59:26,946 --> 00:59:32,051
♪
1170
00:59:32,251 --> 00:59:35,130
Uh, when he first entered
the arena, he was booed.
1171
00:59:35,154 --> 00:59:38,991
[crowd jeering]
1172
00:59:40,393 --> 00:59:45,574
And... and there was no
massive booing for, uh,
1173
00:59:45,598 --> 00:59:47,109
the former mob enforcer.
1174
00:59:47,133 --> 00:59:48,777
Somehow he was okay.
1175
00:59:48,801 --> 00:59:51,547
[crowd cheering]
1176
00:59:51,571 --> 00:59:52,839
MALE COMMENTATOR: There we see
1177
00:59:53,139 --> 00:59:55,951
the spotlight on the
world champion, Sonny Liston,
1178
00:59:55,975 --> 01:00:00,313
and his entourage leading him
down from dressing room to ring.
1179
01:00:00,546 --> 01:00:04,193
The instructions I got
before I left New York...
1180
01:00:04,217 --> 01:00:06,795
Rent a car at the airport,
1181
01:00:06,819 --> 01:00:10,699
drive back and forth
between the arena
1182
01:00:10,723 --> 01:00:14,703
where the event is being
held and the nearest hospital
1183
01:00:14,727 --> 01:00:19,975
so that you will waste
no, uh, deadline time
1184
01:00:19,999 --> 01:00:23,846
following Cassius Clay
into intensive care.
1185
01:00:23,870 --> 01:00:25,230
MALE COMMENTATOR:
There he comes.
1186
01:00:25,404 --> 01:00:29,976
Up the ring he bounces in,
calm, cool, collected.
1187
01:00:33,296 --> 01:00:34,536
MALE REPORTER: The challenger,
1188
01:00:34,564 --> 01:00:35,808
the challenger,
Cassius Marcellus Clay.
1189
01:00:35,832 --> 01:00:38,077
22 years of age, unbeaten.
19th straight,
1190
01:00:38,101 --> 01:00:41,013
going for all the marbles
in the boxing business.
1191
01:00:41,037 --> 01:00:45,851
There really is nothing
in sports
1192
01:00:45,875 --> 01:00:48,721
like a heavyweight
championship fight.
1193
01:00:48,745 --> 01:00:53,726
Just kind of full of
electricity and bloodlust.
1194
01:00:53,750 --> 01:00:57,287
Two men half naked,
coming out in front of you,
1195
01:00:57,487 --> 01:01:00,432
trying to hurt each other.
1196
01:01:00,456 --> 01:01:03,769
- I want a clean bout, men.
- In the event of a knockdown,
1197
01:01:03,793 --> 01:01:06,705
the man that is down
must take an eight count.
1198
01:01:06,729 --> 01:01:08,140
ATTALLAH: I did not
understand boxing.
1199
01:01:08,164 --> 01:01:09,608
I understood him, right?
1200
01:01:09,632 --> 01:01:14,213
So you're rooting for
someone that you love to win,
1201
01:01:14,237 --> 01:01:15,681
whatever "win" meant.
1202
01:01:15,705 --> 01:01:17,783
I didn't know competition
at that point in my life,
1203
01:01:17,807 --> 01:01:19,108
but I knew that
this was his aim,
1204
01:01:19,475 --> 01:01:23,322
and he certainly did not have
a problem orating his aim.
1205
01:01:23,346 --> 01:01:25,215
Good luck. Shake hands.
1206
01:01:27,650 --> 01:01:28,761
[bell rings]
1207
01:01:28,785 --> 01:01:32,031
[crowd shouting]
1208
01:01:32,055 --> 01:01:37,636
And in the first round, uh,
he... he made Sonny look clumsy.
1209
01:01:37,660 --> 01:01:41,040
[crowd shouting]
1210
01:01:41,064 --> 01:01:44,300
Your first round in the
ring with Cassius Clay
1211
01:01:44,534 --> 01:01:46,345
was an introduction
to something new.
1212
01:01:46,369 --> 01:01:47,947
And he's looking pretty good.
1213
01:01:47,971 --> 01:01:50,749
He's got the left hand
working, pop, pop.
1214
01:01:50,773 --> 01:01:52,151
MALE COMMENTATOR:
Awkwardly fast.
1215
01:01:52,175 --> 01:01:53,853
Good long left lead.
1216
01:01:53,877 --> 01:01:56,145
It might be the champion
a bit off balance.
1217
01:01:56,379 --> 01:01:58,219
There's never been a
heavyweight who combined
1218
01:01:58,348 --> 01:02:02,728
that height,
that range, those long arms,
1219
01:02:02,752 --> 01:02:06,966
the hand speed, the foot speed,
with that level of confidence.
1220
01:02:06,990 --> 01:02:08,734
There's no precedent for this.
1221
01:02:08,758 --> 01:02:11,971
He's the first of his kind.
1222
01:02:11,995 --> 01:02:14,364
MALE REPORTER: The challenger
is jabbing all over, body...
1223
01:02:14,564 --> 01:02:15,774
And a right hand!
1224
01:02:15,798 --> 01:02:17,400
The best punch of
the fight so far!
1225
01:02:17,634 --> 01:02:22,272
[crowd shouting]
1226
01:02:23,339 --> 01:02:26,018
ROBERT: And it hit me
1227
01:02:26,042 --> 01:02:31,523
Clay was bigger than Liston.
1228
01:02:31,547 --> 01:02:32,892
MALE COMMENTATOR: We're
down to the closing seconds
1229
01:02:32,916 --> 01:02:34,526
of this first round,
1230
01:02:34,550 --> 01:02:37,296
and the long left lead is
making the difference so far
1231
01:02:37,320 --> 01:02:39,131
by Mr. Clay.
1232
01:02:39,155 --> 01:02:41,090
[bell rings]
1233
01:02:42,625 --> 01:02:44,961
[bell rings]
1234
01:02:46,162 --> 01:02:47,239
[bell rings]
1235
01:02:47,263 --> 01:02:49,675
[crowd shouting]
1236
01:02:49,699 --> 01:02:54,780
Things that shocked everybody
around me didn't shock me.
1237
01:02:54,804 --> 01:02:56,081
MALE COMMENTATOR:
Ladies and gentlemen,
1238
01:02:56,105 --> 01:02:58,550
we're looking in
with our overhead camera
1239
01:02:58,574 --> 01:03:02,721
into the corner of Cassius Clay,
who is still doing the talking.
1240
01:03:02,745 --> 01:03:03,913
I'm saying to myself,
1241
01:03:04,147 --> 01:03:05,724
"Well, Sonny's trying
to figure him out.
1242
01:03:05,748 --> 01:03:07,268
That's why Sonny's
not doing anything."
1243
01:03:07,383 --> 01:03:10,763
From the radio cast, it
was just a matter of time
1244
01:03:10,787 --> 01:03:12,665
until Sonny Liston
knocked him out.
1245
01:03:12,689 --> 01:03:14,033
Yeah, he might be
having a little trouble
1246
01:03:14,057 --> 01:03:15,901
figuring out his style.
1247
01:03:15,925 --> 01:03:18,170
But we all know Cassius
is gonna get tired,
1248
01:03:18,194 --> 01:03:20,396
the body blows will hurt him,
1249
01:03:20,596 --> 01:03:22,708
and that he's gonna
get knocked out.
1250
01:03:22,732 --> 01:03:24,100
[bell rings]
1251
01:03:24,367 --> 01:03:25,878
JOE: I hope that Clay
don't get too much confidence.
1252
01:03:25,902 --> 01:03:27,270
Soon he's gonna get knocked out.
1253
01:03:27,503 --> 01:03:29,949
MALE COMMENTATOR:
But this youngster
1254
01:03:29,973 --> 01:03:32,117
has his own style
and it's confusing for
1255
01:03:32,141 --> 01:03:34,954
the champion to fathom
this early in the fight,
1256
01:03:34,978 --> 01:03:37,923
at least up to now.
Completely outclassed, Joe,
1257
01:03:37,947 --> 01:03:39,449
with the speed,
his awkward style,
1258
01:03:39,649 --> 01:03:41,193
his boxing, his natural ability.
1259
01:03:41,217 --> 01:03:42,995
JIM: And then in
the second round,
1260
01:03:43,019 --> 01:03:45,219
he wasn't quite as commanding.
But in the third round...
1261
01:03:45,922 --> 01:03:47,566
The way I remember it,
in the third round,
1262
01:03:47,590 --> 01:03:51,094
he landed that right hand
and cut Liston on his cheek.
1263
01:03:54,163 --> 01:03:56,308
MALE COMMENTATOR: Another
jarring right hand that time.
1264
01:03:56,332 --> 01:03:57,332
Another one!
1265
01:03:57,400 --> 01:03:59,845
Sonny wobbled! Sonny wobbled!
1266
01:03:59,869 --> 01:04:01,371
Cassius has him hurt!
1267
01:04:03,539 --> 01:04:08,378
DEE DEE: I had never
really seen him go at it
1268
01:04:08,611 --> 01:04:10,222
the way he did.
1269
01:04:10,246 --> 01:04:11,757
It was...
1270
01:04:11,781 --> 01:04:15,194
My mouth was, like...
1271
01:04:15,218 --> 01:04:17,196
He beat the hell
out of that man!
1272
01:04:17,220 --> 01:04:19,765
[laughs]
1273
01:04:19,789 --> 01:04:23,159
He... he beat that man
like he stole something.
1274
01:04:24,160 --> 01:04:27,430
MALE COMMENTATOR: Sonny has
a big mouse below his left eye.
1275
01:04:27,630 --> 01:04:29,942
He has a cut below the eye.
1276
01:04:29,966 --> 01:04:32,402
And he's getting hit with
all the punches in the book.
1277
01:04:35,038 --> 01:04:38,441
So now he has a tactical
advantage in the fight.
1278
01:04:38,641 --> 01:04:39,985
[bell rings]
1279
01:04:40,009 --> 01:04:41,987
[crowd shouting]
1280
01:04:42,011 --> 01:04:44,757
Liston thought he was
gonna knock him out early.
1281
01:04:44,781 --> 01:04:48,394
Once he saw that his power
1282
01:04:48,418 --> 01:04:50,095
didn't intimidate Clay,
1283
01:04:50,119 --> 01:04:51,921
he... he got a bit scared.
1284
01:04:52,622 --> 01:04:56,668
Yeah, I still have
notebooks with blood on it.
1285
01:04:56,692 --> 01:04:58,127
Uh, Liston's blood.
1286
01:04:59,529 --> 01:05:02,775
MALE COMMENTATOR: We're
going into Sonny's corner.
1287
01:05:02,799 --> 01:05:04,043
Joe, I don't know
whether you can see it.
1288
01:05:04,067 --> 01:05:05,911
Look closely, look hard.
1289
01:05:05,935 --> 01:05:08,047
They're working on the
cut below the left eye.
1290
01:05:08,071 --> 01:05:09,782
It's very difficult
to get a shot.
1291
01:05:09,806 --> 01:05:12,451
I'm saying, well, it's not
a serious cut, but he is cut.
1292
01:05:12,475 --> 01:05:15,111
I wonder what he's
thinking about, being cut.
1293
01:05:17,246 --> 01:05:21,393
The first thing I notice
is the cut has turned black.
1294
01:05:21,417 --> 01:05:24,930
To stop the cut, they
used a drug called Monsel.
1295
01:05:24,954 --> 01:05:26,365
It's a liquid.
1296
01:05:26,389 --> 01:05:28,967
You put it on a cut,
the cut will turn black.
1297
01:05:28,991 --> 01:05:31,804
Well, Monsel is banned
for one reason...
1298
01:05:31,828 --> 01:05:33,639
It's dangerous in the eyes.
1299
01:05:33,663 --> 01:05:34,864
[bell rings]
1300
01:05:35,665 --> 01:05:38,334
What happens if it
gets on Sonny's gloves?
1301
01:05:38,534 --> 01:05:41,480
[crowd shouting]
1302
01:05:41,504 --> 01:05:43,415
It's in the middle of the
round when, all of a sudden,
1303
01:05:43,439 --> 01:05:45,884
"I can't see!
I can't see! I can't see!"
1304
01:05:45,908 --> 01:05:47,977
Clay can't see.
1305
01:05:49,645 --> 01:05:51,757
ROBERT: I think he
freaked a little bit.
1306
01:05:51,781 --> 01:05:55,027
He thought he was going blind.
1307
01:05:55,051 --> 01:05:57,029
[bell rings]
1308
01:05:57,053 --> 01:05:59,598
MALE COMMENTATOR: Now
we have four fast rounds.
1309
01:05:59,622 --> 01:06:03,068
[crowd shouting]
1310
01:06:03,092 --> 01:06:04,436
MALE COMMENTATOR: At this
point, we're going over
1311
01:06:04,460 --> 01:06:06,028
to look into
Cassius Clay's corner.
1312
01:06:06,262 --> 01:06:08,474
Let's go back to, uh, Joe Louis.
1313
01:06:08,498 --> 01:06:10,843
Joe, look at that
shot right in there.
1314
01:06:10,867 --> 01:06:13,679
What do you think is going
through this youngster's mind?
1315
01:06:13,703 --> 01:06:16,115
He's 12 minutes into the fight.
1316
01:06:16,139 --> 01:06:17,607
JOE: Well, he's
talking a lot now.
1317
01:06:17,840 --> 01:06:21,553
I don't know if he's arguing
with his trainer, you know...
1318
01:06:21,577 --> 01:06:23,322
MALE COMMENTATOR: Dundee
that he was arguing with, Joe.
1319
01:06:23,346 --> 01:06:25,057
Angelo now is toweling
him off a little bit
1320
01:06:25,081 --> 01:06:27,025
while he gets him ready.
1321
01:06:27,049 --> 01:06:28,927
JERRY: There is no
quarreling with the fact
1322
01:06:28,951 --> 01:06:30,796
he could not see.
1323
01:06:30,820 --> 01:06:34,123
JOE: I think that there's
something wrong with Clay.
1324
01:06:34,323 --> 01:06:35,834
- [bell rings]
- JOE: Something with Clay.
1325
01:06:35,858 --> 01:06:37,360
There's something
wrong with Clay.
1326
01:06:37,560 --> 01:06:38,971
- MALE COMMENTATOR: His eyes.
- His eyes are bothering him.
1327
01:06:38,995 --> 01:06:40,096
Ladies and gentlemen,
1328
01:06:40,329 --> 01:06:42,040
we don't know exactly
what happened.
1329
01:06:42,064 --> 01:06:43,942
They're yelling from
Cassius Clay's corner.
1330
01:06:43,966 --> 01:06:46,169
Something got in his right eye.
1331
01:06:46,369 --> 01:06:50,082
Uh, however,
he's blinking badly.
1332
01:06:50,106 --> 01:06:52,308
Sonny's got a tad of R&R!
1333
01:06:56,379 --> 01:06:58,123
JIM: I didn't take
a transistor radio.
1334
01:06:58,147 --> 01:07:00,959
I wasn't listening to
any commentary of any kind.
1335
01:07:00,983 --> 01:07:04,353
So I was totally lost at
sea trying to figure out
1336
01:07:04,587 --> 01:07:06,031
what was going on.
1337
01:07:06,055 --> 01:07:08,600
[crowd shouting]
1338
01:07:08,624 --> 01:07:10,669
MALE COMMENTATOR: Still
having some problems with his...
1339
01:07:10,693 --> 01:07:11,861
With his eyes.
1340
01:07:12,094 --> 01:07:14,640
He's blinking and
bouncing away continually.
1341
01:07:14,664 --> 01:07:18,911
You had the sense that,
well, this... this fight is even.
1342
01:07:18,935 --> 01:07:21,580
[crowd shouting]
1343
01:07:21,604 --> 01:07:23,882
I suppose it
could go either way.
1344
01:07:23,906 --> 01:07:27,109
[crowd shouting]
1345
01:07:27,310 --> 01:07:29,621
MALE COMMENTATOR: As
Sonny's still moving in,
1346
01:07:29,645 --> 01:07:33,692
Cassius still bouncing out
to the way, blocking him.
1347
01:07:33,716 --> 01:07:35,127
[bell rings]
1348
01:07:35,151 --> 01:07:38,697
Then it became clear he
had recovered from that.
1349
01:07:38,721 --> 01:07:41,700
MALE COMMENTATOR: We note
that Sonny's flat-footed stance
1350
01:07:41,724 --> 01:07:45,971
most of the time, easy target.
1351
01:07:45,995 --> 01:07:47,906
Of course, his eyes cleared.
1352
01:07:47,930 --> 01:07:49,074
MALE COMMENTATOR: Easy!
1353
01:07:49,098 --> 01:07:55,104
[crowd shouting]
1354
01:08:02,712 --> 01:08:05,023
MALE COMMENTATOR: Seconds
remaining in the sixth.
1355
01:08:05,047 --> 01:08:11,153
[crowd shouting]
1356
01:08:12,588 --> 01:08:13,832
[bell rings]
1357
01:08:13,856 --> 01:08:16,501
[crowd cheering]
1358
01:08:16,525 --> 01:08:18,670
MALE COMMENTATOR: The crowd
now cheering the challenger.
1359
01:08:18,694 --> 01:08:21,130
Let's get over to our
champion, Joe Louis. Joe?
1360
01:08:21,330 --> 01:08:22,574
JOE: Well, I think
that the corner
1361
01:08:22,598 --> 01:08:24,233
has to get worried
a little bit now.
1362
01:08:24,467 --> 01:08:26,578
MALE COMMENTATOR: Now
they're working, as we note,
1363
01:08:26,602 --> 01:08:29,114
with our camera shots in
there, below the left eye.
1364
01:08:29,138 --> 01:08:30,582
They've already worked
below the right eye.
1365
01:08:30,606 --> 01:08:31,707
There you see them.
1366
01:08:31,941 --> 01:08:33,819
Joe Paolino trying to
keep that cut closed.
1367
01:08:33,843 --> 01:08:37,456
And do you feel as though Sonny
being busted up a little bit,
1368
01:08:37,480 --> 01:08:38,981
cut up a little bit
around the face...
1369
01:08:39,248 --> 01:08:41,827
Will this make a difference
in Liston's thinking?
1370
01:08:41,851 --> 01:08:44,463
JOE: Well, it has to make
a difference because Liston,
1371
01:08:44,487 --> 01:08:47,390
I think he don't see too well
out both of his eyes.
1372
01:08:47,590 --> 01:08:48,858
[bell rings]
1373
01:08:49,859 --> 01:08:51,436
MALE COMMENTATOR:
The ref is stopping it.
1374
01:08:51,460 --> 01:08:53,005
That might be all,
ladies and gentlemen!
1375
01:08:53,029 --> 01:08:54,473
Get up there, Joe!
1376
01:08:54,497 --> 01:08:56,808
Get up there!
Get up in the ring!
1377
01:08:56,832 --> 01:08:58,110
He's out. He's out.
1378
01:08:58,134 --> 01:09:00,136
He's not coming
out of his corner.
1379
01:09:00,369 --> 01:09:03,615
- He said, "That's it!
- That's enough!"
1380
01:09:03,639 --> 01:09:06,518
What he really meant was,
I'm not going out there.
1381
01:09:06,542 --> 01:09:08,787
And he spit out the mouthpiece.
1382
01:09:08,811 --> 01:09:13,592
[cheering, whistling]
1383
01:09:13,616 --> 01:09:18,087
It was, you know,
almost otherworldly.
1384
01:09:21,123 --> 01:09:22,834
ROBERT: Sonny Liston has quit.
1385
01:09:22,858 --> 01:09:24,260
Cassius Clay is the new
1386
01:09:24,493 --> 01:09:26,772
heavyweight champion
of the world.
1387
01:09:26,796 --> 01:09:30,399
He started capering and running
around the ring, you know?
1388
01:09:30,599 --> 01:09:32,201
"Eat your words!
1389
01:09:32,435 --> 01:09:34,913
I told you I'm
king of the world!"
1390
01:09:34,937 --> 01:09:37,783
It was just a magical moment.
1391
01:09:37,807 --> 01:09:40,242
[cheers and applause]
1392
01:09:40,443 --> 01:09:43,021
He points and he said, "I
fooled you, I fooled you,
1393
01:09:43,045 --> 01:09:45,057
I fooled you, I fooled you."
1394
01:09:45,081 --> 01:09:47,559
And it's just bedlam.
1395
01:09:47,583 --> 01:09:49,383
- JIM: It was electric.
- It was exhilarating.
1396
01:09:49,485 --> 01:09:53,732
I was shouting in the car all
the way back to southwest Miami.
1397
01:09:53,756 --> 01:09:55,567
MALE COMMENTATOR: Hold it,
he's yelling behind us.
1398
01:09:55,591 --> 01:09:58,003
Cassius, come here, come here!
1399
01:09:58,027 --> 01:10:00,262
Come here, come here!
1400
01:10:00,463 --> 01:10:02,007
Hey, I'm the greatest
thing that ever lived!
1401
01:10:02,031 --> 01:10:03,608
I don't have
1402
01:10:03,632 --> 01:10:06,578
I got up on the roof of
the house and began shouting,
1403
01:10:06,602 --> 01:10:09,147
"I've upset the world!
I'm the greatest of all time!"
1404
01:10:09,171 --> 01:10:10,782
Now, I just turned 22 years old.
1405
01:10:10,806 --> 01:10:12,241
I must be the greatest!
1406
01:10:12,441 --> 01:10:14,186
And my mother
eventually came outdoors
1407
01:10:14,210 --> 01:10:16,621
and started yelling
at me, "Get down here!"
1408
01:10:16,645 --> 01:10:18,857
You know, "Get off of the roof.
1409
01:10:18,881 --> 01:10:21,250
You're going to get
us both arrested."
1410
01:10:21,484 --> 01:10:25,230
Um, you know, "You know how
our neighbors feel about this."
1411
01:10:25,254 --> 01:10:28,066
- I told the world!
- I talk to God every day.
1412
01:10:28,090 --> 01:10:30,493
And God [unintelligible].
1413
01:10:33,629 --> 01:10:35,474
- Cassius, wait a minute.
- Wait a minute, Cassius.
1414
01:10:35,498 --> 01:10:38,176
JIM: That was as thrilling
as any moment in my life,
1415
01:10:38,200 --> 01:10:39,945
because Cassius Clay
was Cassius Clay.
1416
01:10:39,969 --> 01:10:41,213
He was my hero.
1417
01:10:41,237 --> 01:10:43,782
I am the greatest!
1418
01:10:43,806 --> 01:10:45,717
MALE COMMENTATOR: All
right, Cass, thank you.
1419
01:10:45,741 --> 01:10:49,221
Thank you, Cassius Clay,
the heavyweight champion.
1420
01:10:49,245 --> 01:10:52,791
The scene turns blank for me,
1421
01:10:52,815 --> 01:10:58,287
because I have I don't know how
many minutes to write my story.
1422
01:10:58,487 --> 01:11:02,167
So, uh, I have my
little Olivetti typewriter
1423
01:11:02,191 --> 01:11:05,570
in front of me on a bench.
1424
01:11:05,594 --> 01:11:09,165
Uh, and, um, I start typing.
1425
01:11:11,600 --> 01:11:16,815
I just remember the
first word, "Incredibly."
1426
01:11:16,839 --> 01:11:21,753
"Incredibly, the
posturing, braggart kid
1427
01:11:21,777 --> 01:11:23,922
was telling the
truth all along."
1428
01:11:23,946 --> 01:11:29,852
[cheers and applause]
1429
01:11:34,532 --> 01:11:36,677
After the fight,
1430
01:11:36,701 --> 01:11:42,082
I told him that I was
going back to the hotel.
1431
01:11:42,106 --> 01:11:45,185
He said, "I'll be
there in a few.
1432
01:11:45,209 --> 01:11:48,188
Wait up for me."
1433
01:11:48,212 --> 01:11:49,914
And he never came.
1434
01:11:52,983 --> 01:11:56,663
ROBERT: He goes back to
the Black hotel with Malcolm.
1435
01:11:56,687 --> 01:11:58,865
They eat vanilla ice cream.
1436
01:11:58,889 --> 01:12:01,292
They're having...
They're celebrating.
1437
01:12:01,492 --> 01:12:03,294
Nobody's drinking.
1438
01:12:06,330 --> 01:12:08,275
DEE DEE: My mother told me
1439
01:12:08,299 --> 01:12:10,744
that I had to give
back the ring.
1440
01:12:10,768 --> 01:12:13,013
And I said, "Mom,
I can't do that."
1441
01:12:13,037 --> 01:12:16,249
She said, "No, you gonna do it.
1442
01:12:16,273 --> 01:12:18,885
And you're gonna do it now."
1443
01:12:18,909 --> 01:12:22,889
When I finally saw him
early in the morning,
1444
01:12:22,913 --> 01:12:27,728
it all came to a head.
1445
01:12:27,752 --> 01:12:32,232
I said, "I have to
give it back to you."
1446
01:12:32,256 --> 01:12:33,667
He said, "Well, what about"
1447
01:12:33,691 --> 01:12:37,928
I said, "No, nothing. I can't."
1448
01:12:39,830 --> 01:12:44,978
He asked me why and I made
up some kind of an excuse.
1449
01:12:45,002 --> 01:12:47,781
But I didn't wanna say that it...
1450
01:12:47,805 --> 01:12:50,150
It was because you
were becoming a Muslim.
1451
01:12:50,174 --> 01:12:53,019
I didn't wanna say that.
1452
01:12:53,043 --> 01:12:56,923
I felt it would hurt too bad,
and that... that wasn't me.
1453
01:12:56,947 --> 01:12:58,582
I'm not like that.
1454
01:13:00,584 --> 01:13:03,964
[indistinct chatter]
1455
01:13:03,988 --> 01:13:07,801
The story really
developed the next morning,
1456
01:13:07,825 --> 01:13:11,362
which was the routine press
conferences after a big fight.
1457
01:13:11,562 --> 01:13:14,674
[unintelligible]
1458
01:13:14,698 --> 01:13:16,600
- I'm ready.
- Just keep quiet and relax.
1459
01:13:16,834 --> 01:13:17,978
That's right.
1460
01:13:18,002 --> 01:13:23,216
One of the young reporters said,
1461
01:13:23,240 --> 01:13:26,286
so, could you finally tell us,
1462
01:13:26,310 --> 01:13:29,880
are you a card-carrying Muslim?
1463
01:13:32,349 --> 01:13:34,351
Cassius kind of jerked up.
1464
01:13:34,552 --> 01:13:37,998
And... and then he
kind of lashed back.
1465
01:13:38,022 --> 01:13:42,369
And he said, why are you making
such a big deal out of this?
1466
01:13:42,393 --> 01:13:44,070
I'm a clean-cut boy.
1467
01:13:44,094 --> 01:13:47,431
I don't fornicate,
I don't drink, I don't smoke,
1468
01:13:47,665 --> 01:13:49,776
I don't run around.
1469
01:13:49,800 --> 01:13:53,046
Uh, I'm with this
really nice group of people.
1470
01:13:53,070 --> 01:13:55,539
I don't have to be
what you want me to be.
1471
01:13:57,107 --> 01:13:59,777
I'm free to be what I want to
be and think what I wanna think.
1472
01:14:00,744 --> 01:14:03,447
Red birds should
stay with red birds.
1473
01:14:03,681 --> 01:14:06,860
And bluebirds should
stay with bluebirds.
1474
01:14:06,884 --> 01:14:10,855
And people should not go to
places where they're not wanted.
1475
01:14:11,822 --> 01:14:14,134
And all hell breaks loose.
1476
01:14:14,158 --> 01:14:16,002
Ah, it didn't bother me a bit.
1477
01:14:16,026 --> 01:14:19,072
I knew what my lead was
gonna be the next morning.
1478
01:14:19,096 --> 01:14:22,709
"The lost-found
Nation of Islam..."
1479
01:14:22,733 --> 01:14:25,712
They had a guy who's
considered the baddest,
1480
01:14:25,736 --> 01:14:27,371
most celebrated
man in the world,
1481
01:14:27,571 --> 01:14:29,816
the heavyweight
champion of the world.
1482
01:14:29,840 --> 01:14:33,086
Not only that,
but he knocked out Goliath
1483
01:14:33,110 --> 01:14:35,946
and he didn't need five
smooth stones to do it.
1484
01:14:36,947 --> 01:14:38,959
I don't believe in
forced integration.
1485
01:14:38,983 --> 01:14:41,194
Ain't gonna never work, man.
You knew it ain't gonna work.
1486
01:14:41,218 --> 01:14:44,731
You always knew it
wasn't right, but I never did.
1487
01:14:44,755 --> 01:14:47,491
Now that I done found out,
you seem to be shook up.
1488
01:14:47,725 --> 01:14:50,971
And after the Liston fight, uh,
1489
01:14:50,995 --> 01:14:53,974
Cassius Clay is happy to
embrace the Nation publicly
1490
01:14:53,998 --> 01:14:55,876
in ways he could not
before the fight.
1491
01:14:55,900 --> 01:14:58,435
And the Nation, this
new heavyweight champion
1492
01:14:58,669 --> 01:15:01,472
claiming to be a Muslim,
is happy to embrace him.
1493
01:15:25,195 --> 01:15:33,195
♪
1494
01:15:37,808 --> 01:15:41,121
Malcolm X and Cassius Clay
1495
01:15:41,145 --> 01:15:43,156
went to New York.
1496
01:15:43,180 --> 01:15:47,360
ROBERT: He gets up
and he says, fellas,
1497
01:15:47,384 --> 01:15:50,597
I have to tell you something.
1498
01:15:50,621 --> 01:15:56,002
I am a member of the
lost-found Nation of Islam.
1499
01:15:56,026 --> 01:16:01,308
And from now on,
my name is Cassius X.
1500
01:16:01,332 --> 01:16:03,076
I ain't gonna keep Clay.
1501
01:16:03,100 --> 01:16:05,102
Clay is a slave name.
1502
01:16:06,804 --> 01:16:08,815
JAMES: And so Cassius Clay
1503
01:16:08,839 --> 01:16:13,286
becomes Cassius X,
meaning I don't know
1504
01:16:13,310 --> 01:16:16,823
my original African last name.
1505
01:16:16,847 --> 01:16:21,452
And so I take X to
represent that anonymity.
1506
01:16:21,652 --> 01:16:25,489
So he is the symbol
of transformation,
1507
01:16:25,689 --> 01:16:27,968
someone who says,
I want freedom.
1508
01:16:27,992 --> 01:16:30,971
I want to have
self-determination.
1509
01:16:30,995 --> 01:16:35,232
And I have to do that by tying
myself back to my identity.
1510
01:16:37,134 --> 01:16:39,846
They went to the United Nations.
1511
01:16:39,870 --> 01:16:43,083
And this was an important moment
because Clay took the idea
1512
01:16:43,107 --> 01:16:47,253
that he was champion
of the world seriously.
1513
01:16:47,277 --> 01:16:48,557
[reporters shouting questions]
1514
01:16:48,779 --> 01:16:50,357
MALE REPORTER: Soon
after, the new champion
1515
01:16:50,381 --> 01:16:51,658
came to New York and was
shown around the United Nations
1516
01:16:51,682 --> 01:16:54,127
by his friend Malcolm X.
1517
01:16:54,151 --> 01:16:58,298
Malcolm X goes to the
UN to deliver the case
1518
01:16:58,322 --> 01:17:00,033
of white supremacy's
1519
01:17:00,057 --> 01:17:03,236
damaging of Black America
to the UN,
1520
01:17:03,260 --> 01:17:07,907
to see it as an international
human rights crisis
1521
01:17:07,931 --> 01:17:10,810
what white America had
done to Black people.
1522
01:17:10,834 --> 01:17:13,079
Cassius has been following
the religion of Islam,
1523
01:17:13,103 --> 01:17:16,016
Muslim religion, for the
past four or five years.
1524
01:17:16,040 --> 01:17:19,819
Introducing Clay to
African diplomats in the UN
1525
01:17:19,843 --> 01:17:21,121
serves a few purposes.
1526
01:17:21,145 --> 01:17:23,590
Uh, one is to broaden
Clay's horizons.
1527
01:17:23,614 --> 01:17:26,393
He had not really been involved
in international travel
1528
01:17:26,417 --> 01:17:27,827
and that sort of thing,
1529
01:17:27,851 --> 01:17:30,263
so it was to impress
upon this young Black man
1530
01:17:30,287 --> 01:17:32,132
that Malcolm is tutoring
1531
01:17:32,156 --> 01:17:34,636
that there's this larger world,
a larger world of Black people,
1532
01:17:34,725 --> 01:17:37,170
and Africa, and Africa
is becoming independent,
1533
01:17:37,194 --> 01:17:39,563
and so forth, and you
just need to know about this.
1534
01:17:39,797 --> 01:17:41,875
I can look at people
from all over the world,
1535
01:17:41,899 --> 01:17:43,209
regardless of race,
creed, or color,
1536
01:17:43,233 --> 01:17:45,002
and talk intelligently
with them,
1537
01:17:45,235 --> 01:17:47,675
and most of all, recognize that
all of my brothers and sisters
1538
01:17:47,705 --> 01:17:49,540
are these people
I haven't recognized
1539
01:17:49,740 --> 01:17:51,217
over my lifetime.
1540
01:17:51,241 --> 01:17:53,086
These weren't just
dignitaries walking up.
1541
01:17:53,110 --> 01:17:54,454
These are people
that were already
1542
01:17:54,478 --> 01:17:55,989
a part of our family, our life.
1543
01:17:56,013 --> 01:17:57,453
This is all separate
from the Nation.
1544
01:17:57,715 --> 01:17:59,717
This has nothing to do
with the Nation of Islam.
1545
01:18:01,051 --> 01:18:02,829
Being a follower of
the Muslim religion
1546
01:18:02,853 --> 01:18:04,898
had something to do with your
winning the championship?
1547
01:18:04,922 --> 01:18:08,201
- Well, I would say so.
- Uh, our religion is what...
1548
01:18:08,225 --> 01:18:09,969
The only thing that
I can give any credit
1549
01:18:09,993 --> 01:18:11,128
for pulling me through.
1550
01:18:11,428 --> 01:18:13,940
I have heard many
people attempt to presume
1551
01:18:13,964 --> 01:18:18,535
that my father was trying
to recruit, um, Cassius Clay
1552
01:18:18,769 --> 01:18:21,014
in order to repair
his relationship,
1553
01:18:21,038 --> 01:18:23,883
his own relationship,
with Elijah Muhammad,
1554
01:18:23,907 --> 01:18:27,220
which is absolutely incorrect.
1555
01:18:27,244 --> 01:18:30,190
They were preparing
to be in alliance
1556
01:18:30,214 --> 01:18:32,892
so that they continue
studying and working,
1557
01:18:32,916 --> 01:18:35,061
and it was stopped
right in the middle.
1558
01:18:35,085 --> 01:18:37,154
♪
1559
01:18:40,599 --> 01:18:44,679
[radio tuning]
1560
01:18:44,703 --> 01:18:49,150
THOMAS: Cassius Clay was
in New York with Malcolm X.
1561
01:18:49,174 --> 01:18:53,020
Elijah Muhammad
announced on the radio
1562
01:18:53,044 --> 01:18:57,725
that he had given Cassius
the name "Muhammad Ali."
1563
01:18:57,749 --> 01:18:59,694
Cassius Clay is a name
no more, is that right?
1564
01:18:59,718 --> 01:19:01,729
Yes, sir! It's Muhammad Ali.
1565
01:19:01,753 --> 01:19:03,531
"Muhammad" means
"worthy of all praises"
1566
01:19:03,555 --> 01:19:06,834
and "Ali" means "most high"
in the Asian-African language.
1567
01:19:06,858 --> 01:19:08,903
Part of it was a power play,
1568
01:19:08,927 --> 01:19:12,273
that here was Malcolm
at the United Nations,
1569
01:19:12,297 --> 01:19:14,342
showing this man around.
1570
01:19:14,366 --> 01:19:16,611
And I'm gonna take him back.
1571
01:19:16,635 --> 01:19:19,680
I'm gonna name him Muhammad Ali.
1572
01:19:19,704 --> 01:19:22,116
And he's going
to take that name,
1573
01:19:22,140 --> 01:19:26,988
and that's going to reassert
my primacy in this battle.
1574
01:19:27,012 --> 01:19:28,413
Anybody special
gave you the name?
1575
01:19:28,647 --> 01:19:29,991
Yes sir, my leader and teacher,
1576
01:19:30,015 --> 01:19:31,759
the Most Honorable
Elijah Muhammad.
1577
01:19:31,783 --> 01:19:35,420
That moment, I think,
helped cement the rupture.
1578
01:19:35,654 --> 01:19:37,098
Malcolm saw the
writing on the wall.
1579
01:19:37,122 --> 01:19:38,766
He didn't tell...
1580
01:19:38,790 --> 01:19:41,802
He didn't try to get Cassius
Clay/Muhammad Ali to become
1581
01:19:41,826 --> 01:19:44,939
sort of personally
loyal to him, Malcolm X.
1582
01:19:44,963 --> 01:19:47,842
And... and probably
could not have.
1583
01:19:47,866 --> 01:19:50,411
And Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali,
1584
01:19:50,435 --> 01:19:54,282
uh, decided he would not follow
1585
01:19:54,306 --> 01:19:56,417
a student of the teacher.
1586
01:19:56,441 --> 01:19:58,052
He'd follow the teacher himself.
1587
01:19:58,076 --> 01:19:59,820
MALE INTERVIEWER: There's
been great publicity given
1588
01:19:59,844 --> 01:20:01,389
to the fact that heavyweight
champion Cassius Clay
1589
01:20:01,413 --> 01:20:02,480
is one of your followers.
1590
01:20:02,714 --> 01:20:04,792
Do you think he's
a sincere follower?
1591
01:20:04,816 --> 01:20:07,195
Well, Cassius is
following Elijah Muhammad.
1592
01:20:07,219 --> 01:20:13,201
And I'm no longer a follower
of Elijah Muhammad myself.
1593
01:20:13,225 --> 01:20:18,496
The last time my father
spoke with, uh, Cassius Clay,
1594
01:20:18,730 --> 01:20:21,433
uh, directly, he was in New York
1595
01:20:21,633 --> 01:20:24,979
on his way to see
us as a family.
1596
01:20:25,003 --> 01:20:27,415
I knew, I anticipated his visit.
1597
01:20:27,439 --> 01:20:28,773
And it was cut short.
1598
01:20:28,974 --> 01:20:33,020
He was summoned to meet
with Elijah Muhammad.
1599
01:20:33,044 --> 01:20:36,891
And... we were kind of stood up,
if you use that term.
1600
01:20:36,915 --> 01:20:39,427
But my father knew
1601
01:20:39,451 --> 01:20:43,455
what that meant.
1602
01:20:43,955 --> 01:20:47,335
THOMAS: There was a
special bond between them.
1603
01:20:47,359 --> 01:20:53,274
And it speaks to the
power of Elijah Muhammad
1604
01:20:53,298 --> 01:20:57,245
and the hold that he
had over Cassius Clay
1605
01:20:57,269 --> 01:21:02,307
that, uh, when Elijah
and Malcolm separated,
1606
01:21:03,608 --> 01:21:06,711
Muhammad Ali went with Elijah
1607
01:21:06,911 --> 01:21:09,814
and completely
rejected Malcolm X.
1608
01:21:10,048 --> 01:21:12,293
Would you clear this
up for me, please?
1609
01:21:12,317 --> 01:21:13,694
Have you and Malcolm X,
1610
01:21:13,718 --> 01:21:15,363
the man who helped convert you
1611
01:21:15,387 --> 01:21:19,333
to the Black Muslim movement...
Have the two of you split?
1612
01:21:19,357 --> 01:21:21,702
When the Honorable Elijah
Muhammad cuts a man off,
1613
01:21:21,726 --> 01:21:23,404
well, then he's
automatically cut off
1614
01:21:23,428 --> 01:21:24,763
with all of his followers.
1615
01:21:24,963 --> 01:21:27,308
And, uh, a lot of
people call it a split.
1616
01:21:27,332 --> 01:21:28,600
It's not a split.
1617
01:21:28,867 --> 01:21:32,446
He's just one individual
who, as we say, went astray.
1618
01:21:32,470 --> 01:21:36,117
And, uh, when, say,
like, two governments split,
1619
01:21:36,141 --> 01:21:38,419
one leader takes half,
another leader take half.
1620
01:21:38,443 --> 01:21:40,321
Malcolm X is just there.
1621
01:21:40,345 --> 01:21:42,847
And this is not a split.
1622
01:21:43,081 --> 01:21:45,293
He's not big enough
to be called a split.
1623
01:21:45,317 --> 01:21:50,298
♪
1624
01:21:50,322 --> 01:21:54,726
People would not accept
the name Muhammad Ali.
1625
01:21:54,926 --> 01:21:56,370
MALE REPORTER:
Cassius, did the bus trip
1626
01:21:56,394 --> 01:21:57,429
take anything out of you,
1627
01:21:57,696 --> 01:21:59,407
and was it worth
the $1800 it cost you?
1628
01:21:59,431 --> 01:22:00,799
Muhammad. My name is Muhammad.
1629
01:22:01,166 --> 01:22:03,311
Y'all keep calling me Cassius,
but I'm tired of telling you.
1630
01:22:03,335 --> 01:22:06,080
You know, you intelligent.
My name is Muhammad Ali.
1631
01:22:06,104 --> 01:22:09,617
Every time I referred
to him in my stories,
1632
01:22:09,641 --> 01:22:11,810
um, as Muhammad Ali,
1633
01:22:12,043 --> 01:22:15,156
it would be struck out,
1634
01:22:15,180 --> 01:22:18,159
and it would be
changed to Cassius Clay
1635
01:22:18,183 --> 01:22:21,295
by the "Times",
you know, edit desk.
1636
01:22:21,319 --> 01:22:23,297
MALE REPORTER: Champ, Liston
hopes you don't have another
1637
01:22:23,321 --> 01:22:24,832
hernia operation.
1638
01:22:24,856 --> 01:22:26,767
See, now you'd rather say
"Champ" than "Muhammad".
1639
01:22:26,791 --> 01:22:29,761
[laughter]
1640
01:22:29,961 --> 01:22:31,196
And to his credit, you know,
1641
01:22:31,396 --> 01:22:33,541
he always doubled down
on that fact, right?
1642
01:22:33,565 --> 01:22:35,543
And it spoke to the fact
1643
01:22:35,567 --> 01:22:37,035
that ultimately
for Black people,
1644
01:22:37,268 --> 01:22:39,180
whatever you call me,
1645
01:22:39,204 --> 01:22:42,483
you're not gonna call me
out of my name, right?
1646
01:22:42,507 --> 01:22:44,218
My name is Muhammad Ali, right?
1647
01:22:44,242 --> 01:22:47,254
And that, I think,
had an incredible impact,
1648
01:22:47,278 --> 01:22:49,156
particularly on
young Black folks, right?
1649
01:22:49,180 --> 01:22:51,125
Who, whether it
was their own name,
1650
01:22:51,149 --> 01:22:53,094
or names they'd come to adopt,
1651
01:22:53,118 --> 01:22:55,854
you are going to
call me my name, right?
1652
01:22:56,087 --> 01:22:58,199
That's the basic
show of respect.
1653
01:22:58,223 --> 01:22:59,667
MALE INTERVIWER:
Why don't you like
1654
01:22:59,691 --> 01:23:01,469
to be called Clay anymore?
1655
01:23:01,493 --> 01:23:03,337
Oh, Clay was not my name.
1656
01:23:03,361 --> 01:23:06,574
Once we follow the belief
1657
01:23:06,598 --> 01:23:08,576
and hear and
understand the teachings
1658
01:23:08,600 --> 01:23:10,711
of the Honorable
Elijah Muhammad,
1659
01:23:10,735 --> 01:23:12,480
then come into
knowledge of ourselves,
1660
01:23:12,504 --> 01:23:17,251
then we want to be called
after names of our people,
1661
01:23:17,275 --> 01:23:19,778
which are names to
fit us Black people.
1662
01:23:20,011 --> 01:23:21,689
And "Clay" was a
white man's name.
1663
01:23:21,713 --> 01:23:23,557
It was a slave name.
1664
01:23:23,581 --> 01:23:25,760
It hurt me because
1665
01:23:25,784 --> 01:23:29,363
he was willfully eliminating
1666
01:23:29,387 --> 01:23:32,466
a part of his identity
1667
01:23:32,490 --> 01:23:35,469
that... that was important to me.
1668
01:23:35,493 --> 01:23:39,573
And I felt like he was
robbing something from me.
1669
01:23:39,597 --> 01:23:42,410
I wanted to learn so
that I could figure out
1670
01:23:42,434 --> 01:23:45,413
whether it was possible for
me to sustain this love affair
1671
01:23:45,437 --> 01:23:49,984
for Cassius Clay under
the banner of a new name.
1672
01:23:50,008 --> 01:23:52,153
If you're on the right
side of race relations,
1673
01:23:52,177 --> 01:23:54,288
ultimately it became a
badge of honor for you
1674
01:23:54,312 --> 01:23:58,392
that you did say "Muhammad Ali"
and didn't say "Cassius Clay"
1675
01:23:58,416 --> 01:24:00,628
because that was the
way he wanted it.
1676
01:24:00,652 --> 01:24:04,289
[drum music]
1677
01:24:05,457 --> 01:24:09,503
ROBERT: In the summer
of 1964, Muhammad Ali
1678
01:24:09,527 --> 01:24:11,930
actually went to Africa.
1679
01:24:16,134 --> 01:24:21,215
They went to
Ghana, Nigeria, Egypt.
1680
01:24:21,239 --> 01:24:23,818
And there was
a point on that trip
1681
01:24:23,842 --> 01:24:28,880
where something remarkable
happened.
1682
01:24:29,080 --> 01:24:30,448
They were in Ghana.
1683
01:24:30,682 --> 01:24:34,562
One day, Muhammad and his
traveling party got in a car
1684
01:24:34,586 --> 01:24:38,799
and they decided to just
drive through the countryside.
1685
01:24:38,823 --> 01:24:41,635
And as they drove
through the countryside,
1686
01:24:41,659 --> 01:24:46,874
there would be drums beating
and messages were transmitted.
1687
01:24:46,898 --> 01:24:50,778
And people would come
out of the countryside
1688
01:24:50,802 --> 01:24:55,382
and stand on the road
and line the road
1689
01:24:55,406 --> 01:25:00,512
just to be there
to see Muhammad Ali.
1690
01:25:02,280 --> 01:25:07,361
And that had a
mesmerizing effect on him.
1691
01:25:07,385 --> 01:25:11,565
In that moment, it
registered in his brain
1692
01:25:11,589 --> 01:25:16,370
that this is something
bigger and more powerful
1693
01:25:16,394 --> 01:25:17,605
than I conceived of.
1694
01:25:17,629 --> 01:25:19,874
This isn't just being
1695
01:25:19,898 --> 01:25:21,900
heavyweight champion
of the world.
1696
01:25:22,100 --> 01:25:26,447
I'm back in my
spiritual homeland.
1697
01:25:26,471 --> 01:25:28,249
That's really the moment
1698
01:25:28,273 --> 01:25:32,386
that Cassius Clay
became Muhammad Ali.
1699
01:25:32,410 --> 01:25:40,410
♪
1700
01:25:56,434 --> 01:25:58,479
[traffic]
1701
01:25:58,503 --> 01:26:02,516
ATTALLAH: When I was in
New York, living in New York,
1702
01:26:02,540 --> 01:26:05,877
and I saw in the news that
Muhammad Ali was coming to town
1703
01:26:06,077 --> 01:26:10,882
to unveil his artwork
at the Waldorf Astoria,
1704
01:26:11,115 --> 01:26:14,662
I said to my housemaid,
1705
01:26:14,686 --> 01:26:17,431
"I know him."
1706
01:26:17,455 --> 01:26:19,800
She said, "You
know Muhammad Ali?"
1707
01:26:19,824 --> 01:26:22,360
I said, "Yes, he's
my big brother."
1708
01:26:23,561 --> 01:26:24,905
And I thought to myself,
1709
01:26:24,929 --> 01:26:26,774
"Is it dangerous?"
1710
01:26:26,798 --> 01:26:28,900
Not, "Would he not accept me?"
1711
01:26:29,133 --> 01:26:33,514
But is it dangerous
because of the forced division
1712
01:26:33,538 --> 01:26:35,583
to go see him?
1713
01:26:35,607 --> 01:26:36,908
So I did.
1714
01:26:37,108 --> 01:26:39,911
I went downtown and I
stood across the street
1715
01:26:40,144 --> 01:26:42,914
and watched the
crowd come his way.
1716
01:26:43,114 --> 01:26:44,825
And somehow or
another, he felt me
1717
01:26:44,849 --> 01:26:48,629
and turned around
and beckoned to me.
1718
01:26:48,653 --> 01:26:50,864
And we were together
from that point
1719
01:26:50,888 --> 01:26:54,435
until he was unable to engage.
1720
01:26:54,459 --> 01:26:59,540
In that first 24 hours,
after all of the public things
1721
01:26:59,564 --> 01:27:03,935
that he was there at the
Waldorf Astoria to address,
1722
01:27:04,168 --> 01:27:05,679
we talked about everything.
1723
01:27:05,703 --> 01:27:07,247
And we continued talking.
1724
01:27:07,271 --> 01:27:10,908
He entrusted me the way
I know he trusted my dad.
1725
01:27:11,109 --> 01:27:14,021
His big question...
1726
01:27:14,045 --> 01:27:16,981
One of his first questions when
we were away from people was,
1727
01:27:17,181 --> 01:27:19,984
did my father know he loved him?
1728
01:27:20,218 --> 01:27:24,531
And it was a painful... it
was a painful couple of hours.
1729
01:27:24,555 --> 01:27:30,595
♪
134845
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