In my elementary schools fifth grade graduation, they always used to have the graduates sing "The World's Greatest" by R.Kelly. "I am a mountain, I am a tall tree..." I still remember all the words to this day. It's kind of my favorite song. The song and video, are obviously about Muhammad Ali. As in the video R. Kelly has on boxing attire. Even more obvious, there is a video clip at the end of Ali speaking. A great song for an even greater guy. A great song for the world's greatest.
Each year as I got closer and closer to my fifth grade graduation I couldn't wait to sing that song. I mean who could blame me? I felt empowered and ready to take on the world when I heard it. I get to sing a song written about Muhammad Ali when I "graduate"? I was turnt.
So 5th grade came and I was excited. However, my fifth grade graduation never came, as the magnet program I was in pushed us into a new school where we would graduate from 6th grade. When my sixth grade graduation came, we sang Celine Dion. I mean God bless Ms. Celine and all but I didn't feel the chills like I felt whenever "World's Greatest" started playing. If we're being honest I'm still not over it.
If I let my textbook tell me about Ali, all I would have learned growing up was that he was just a famous Black boxer who we're proud of and that should be placed on the walls every Black History Month. However, it wasn't hard to tell that despite what the textbook barely said, it wasn't hard to see that despite his championships, there was something else about him. Something empowering, something moving, something great. My teachers confirmed that. I thank God for Black teachers and I thank God for my mother and father placing me in that Black school system. For what my textbook refused to say, I had teachers who would.
So as I learned about Ali, through the mouths of my educators, I learned that he was a political leader. I admired him for rejecting his draft into the Vietnam War. As I grew older, I came to understand that took sacrifice. He was stripped from everything he earned. All because he wouldn't support a system that didn't support his people. That's not just courageous, but its real dope. In a world where people compromise their beliefs everyday for an easier route, he gave up a lot to make the point that he was not going to. That showed respect for his Islamic faith, as well as respect for Black people. As he refused to fight for a country that his own people had to fight everyday. It would have been so easy for Ali to keep his money, and his titles, but no he was not self serving. It's real dope how he used the platform he had to put his people on. He didn't believe in not using the power he was giving to criticize another power. That power being our government, white supremacy, etc.
Marianne Williamson in her poem "Our Greatest Fear" states "And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same." Muhammad Ali not only gave me permission to shine, but he taught me never to ask.
Legends never die. As I will speak his name, his story, his truth, and teach my future children the same. That way, he may live on forever.
