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A Look At "The Greatest" In The Making

An intimate look into the life of Muhammad Ali, the iconic heavyweight boxing champion who became an inspiration to people everywhere.

9:30 pm Tuesday MUHAMMAD ALI - A Documentary film by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns and Ken McMahon.

Muhammad Ali brings to life the iconic heavyweight-boxing champion who became an inspiration to people everywhere.

Muhammad Ali

This film brings to life one of the most indelible figures of the 20th century, a three-time heavyweight boxing champion who captivated millions of fans across the world with his mesmerizing combination of speed, grace, and power in the ring, and charm and playful boasting outside of it. Ali insisted on being himself unconditionally and became a global icon and inspiration to people everywhere.

His brazen outspokenness and unrivaled boxing skills made him a heroic symbol of black masculinity to African Americans across the country, despite the fact that he seemed to take pride in humiliating his black opponents at times.

Round Two: What's My Name? (1964-1970)
Round Two: What's My Name? (1964-1970)

His deep ties to the Nation of Islam, a Black Nationalist organization that preached separation, made him one of the most feared and reviled men in the country during an era of sit-ins and freedom rides aimed at ending segregation. At the height of his powers, he bravely sacrificed his career by refusing to go to war in Vietnam, and though he was condemned for it, Muhammad Ali would later be remembered as a principled pacifist.

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