TODAY NOT ONLY MARKS MARTIN
LUTHER KING, JR. BUT THE FIRST
OBSERVANCE OF MUHAMMAD ALI DAY
IN ILLINOIS.
KNOWN AS THE GREATEST ALI WON AN
OLYMPIC BOXING GOLD MEDAL AT ABE
AND WON THE HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION
OF THE WORLD THREE TIMES AND HE
WAS AN ACTIVIST AGAINST RACISM
AND THE VIETNAM WAR WHICH COST
HIM HIS TITLE.
>> HE GOT BIG ON YOUR WHITE
TELEVISIONS ON YOUR WHITE
NEWSPAPERS, SATELLITES, AND
STILL LOOK GOOD AND TELL YOU THE
TRUTH AND REPRESENT MY PEOPLE
AND NOT LEAVE THEM AND SELL THEM
OUT AND THAT WAS MY PURPOSE I'M
HERE AND SHOWING THE WORLD YOU
CAN BE HERE AND FEEL FREE AND
STAY YOURSELF.
AND GET RESPECT.
>> AND THAT IS A CLIP FROM THE
MUHAMMAD ALI DOCUMENTARY THAT IS
AIRING ON PBS.
ILLINOIS ACTIVISTS AND
ORGANIZATIONS ADVOCATED
SUCCESSFULLY FOR LAWMAKERS TO
ADDITIONALLY'S JANUARY 17TH
BIRTHDAY TO THE LIST OF HOLIDAYS
IN ILLINOIS WHICH HAPPENS TO
COINCIDE WITH THE KING HOLIDAY
THIS YEAR.
JOINING US TO TALK MORE ABOUT
THE MUHAMMAD ALI COMMEMORATION
DAY AND THE GREATEST ON WHAT
WOULD BE HIS 80TH BIRTHDAY ARE
DONALD LASSERE PRESENT OF THE
CHICAGO HITCH MUSEUM WAS PRESENT
AND C.E.O. OF THE ALI CENTER AND
MARYUM ALI, MUHAMMAD ALI'S
DAUGHTER.
IT IS A PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU
WITH US.
MARYUM ALI LET'S START WITH YOU,
THIS MAY BE A DIFFICULT QUESTION
BUT GIVE US A SENSE WHAT IT WAS
LIKE TO BE THE DAUGHTER OF
MUHAMMAD ALI GROWING UP IN
CHICAGO?
>> WHEN I WAS BORN HE WAS FAMOUS
SO THAT IS ALL I KNOW.
I WOULDN'T CHANGE MY LIFE FOR
ANYTHING.
MY FATHER WAS AN EXCELLENT
EXAMPLE OF A PARENT DESPITE HOW
BUSY HE WAS.
I'VE BENEFITED FROM BEING ABLE
TO GLEAN FROM PERSONALITIES AND
CHARACTERS AND PEOPLE THAT WERE
IN HIS LIFE AND SURROUNDING HIM
EVEN ON THE STREETS IT ALLOWED
ME TO HAVE A DISCERNMENT ABOUT
PERSON APARTMENTS.
MY FATHER WAS A GREAT EXAMPLE A
HUMANITARIAN HE STOOD UP FOR HIS
HUMAN RIGHTS, HUMAN RIGHTS
BECAUSE AS MUSLIMS WE BELIEVE
THAT ALL PEOPLE WERE CREATED
EQUAL AND THE ONLY WAY YOU ARE
JUDGE SECOND BY THE DEED OF YOUR
CHARACTER BY GOD, NOT COLOR,
HAIR, ETHNICITY ANYTHING OF THAT
NATURE.
HE LEFT A GREAT LEGACY.
AND I HAVE NO COMPLAINTS.
>> DONALD LASSERE TELL US ABOUT
THE IMPORTANCE OF TIME THAT
MUHAMMAD ALI SPENT HERE IN
CHICAGO AND HIS CIVIL RIGHTS
WORK.
>> IT WAS A VERY IMPORTANT TIME
FOR CHICAGOANS AS WELL AS
MUHAMMED AND A TESTAMENT TO THIS
HE STARTED HIS FAMILY HERE.
CHICAGO MEANT A LOT TO HIM.
AS A BOY GROWING UP HERE,
MUHAMMED BECAME A HERO TO ME
PERSONALLY WHILE HE WAS NOT EVEN
FIGHTING.
IT WAS HIS REPUTATION FOR
STANDING UP FOR HIS BELIEFS, HIS
CONVICTION, HIS TRUE CONVICTION
TO HIS RELIGION.
AS A YOUNG BOY IN CHICAGO AND
AMONGST ME AND MY FRIENDS HE WAS
A HERO TO US ALL.
>> DOOR LOCAL RESPECT, HOW DID
THE IDEA FOR A DAY OF
COMMEMORATION COME ABOUT?
>> THE CIVIC COALITION WITH OUR
PARTNERS WORKS ON EQUITY.
WORKS ON CIVIC JUSTICE.
AND WE WERE THINKING OF ALL THE
DIFFERENT ISSUES.
BUT WHEN YOU THINK OF THE ISSUES
YOU WANT TO THINK OF THE
SOLUTIONS.
YOU DON'T WANT TO JUST LEAVE
PEOPLE WITH A PROBLEM THAT
YOU'VE IDENTIFIED.
AND WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE
DIVERSE AMERICAN STORIES THAT
ARE NOT TOLD.
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT INVISIBLE
COMMUNITIES ACROSS OUR NATION.
THESE WERE THE ISSUES WE
IDENTIFIED AND IT SEEMED WHAT
BETTER WAY TO START CHANGING THE
NARRATIVE THAN TO CELEBRATING
SOME OF THE STORIES.
WHAT BETTER WAY TO START
CELEBRATING THOSE STORIES THAN
WITH THE CHAP AMERICA'S AND THE
WORLD'S GREATEST KNOWN
AFRICAN-AMERICAN MUSLIM SPORTS
ATHLETE, CIVIC JUSTICE ADVOCATE
AND JUST GREAT MAN.
>> TODAY IS MARTIN LUTHER KING,
JR. DAY BUT HE AND MUHAMMAD ALI
MET A FEW TIMES IN THEIR LIVES.
BUT THEY DID NOT ALWAYS AGREE.
GIVE US A SENSE OF WHERE THEY
DID AGREE AND COULD BE ALLIES
AND WHERE THEY DIFFERED?
>> WELL, THEY AGREED THE END
GOAL WHICH WAS EQUALITY.
AND SO THAT WAS THE MOST
IMPORTANT THING.
THEY HAD TWO DIFFERENT WAYS OF
GETTING THERE.
AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL ABOUT BOTH
MEN.
WHILE THEY DID DISAGREE ON THE
METHODOLOGY, THE PROCESS, THE
STRATEGIES, THEY STILL RESPECTED
ONE ANOTHER GREATLY.
AND AS YOU SAID, THEY HAD
ACTUALLY A RATHER LONG
RELATIONSHIP.
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. WROTE TO
MUHAMMED WHEN HE WAS A YOUNG
BOXER AND AS EVERYONE KNOWS THEY
MET IN 1967 TO DISCUSS THEIR
VEHEMENT OPPOSITION TO THE
VIETNAM WAR.
AGAIN, OUTSIDE OF DISAGREEING ON
THE METHODOLOGY THEY ALWAYS HAD
THE SAME END GOAL IN MIND.
>> I THINK EVERYONE IS FAMILIAR
WITH MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.'S
METHODOLOGY OF PASSIVISM GIVE US
A SENSE OF MUHAMMAD ALI'S
METHODOLOGY WAS?
>> BEING PART OF A NATION OF
ISLAM HIS BELIEF WAS WE SHOULD
BE DOING THINGS FOR OURSELVES.
WE DON'T NEED TO BE INTEGRATED.
THAT IS THE PHILOSOPHY HE HAD AT
THAT TIME.
THAT IT WAS MORE IMPORTANT FOR
THE COMMUNITY TO STAND ON ITS
OWN AS OPPOSED TO RELYING ON THE
MAJORITY TO STEP IN AND HELP.
AND SO THAT WAS A DIFFERENCE IN
PHILOSOPHY.
BOTH WERE PEACEFUL.
BUT MUHAMMED BELIEVED THAT BLACK
PEOPLE, BROWN PEOPLE IN THIS
COUNTRY, COULD DO FOR THEMSELVES
WITHOUT NECESSARILY HAVING THE
AID OF THE GOVERNMENT AND THE
MAJORITY POPULATION.
>> MARYUM ALI HOW DID YOUR
FATHER SET THE STANDARD FOR THE
WAY IN WHICH TODAY'S ATHLETES
SPEAK OUT OF WHAT THEY BELIEVE
IS INJUSTICE?
>> IT IS A DOUBLE EDGED SWORD
THEY DID USE HIM AS AN EXAMPLE,
1968 ON THE OLYMPIC PLATFORM
TOMMY SMITH AND CARLOS TOOK
THEIR SHOES OFF TO PROTEST
POVERTY AND WORE BEADS TO
PROTEST LYNCHING AND THE RAISING
THEIR FISTS IN THE AIR AND
LOWERING THEIR HEAD.
22 YEARS LATER THE NBA
BASKETBALL PLAYER GOT KICKED OUT
FOR HIS RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AS A
MUSLIM AND MODERN TIMES EVERYONE
KNOWS THE STORY OF COLIN
KAEPERNICK.
STILL BANNED FROM NFL FOR DOING
WHAT HE DID.
I'VE FELT THAT BECAUSE OF MY
FATHER, THOUGH, ESPECIALLY WITH
TEAM SPORTS, ATHLETES HAVE BEEN
DISCOURAGED THROUGH NEW POLICY
TELLING THEM THEY SHOULDN'T BE
ACTIVE OR LAWS SAYING THEY CAN
THE NO STAND FOR CAUSES.
I THINK SPORTS ALWAYS LEARNED
FROM MY FATHER AND PUT THINGS IN
PLACE SO THEY WOULD NOT BE A
MUHAMMAD ALI.
AND WE HAVE EXAMPLES OF THOSE
TRAILED HIS PATH.
>> OF COURSE MOST PEOPLE KNOW
MUHAMMAD ALI AS THE FAMOUS BOXER
BUT HE WAS KNOWN FOR HIS
OUTSPOKEN FAITH WHEN HE RISKED
EVERYTHING FOR IT.
TAKE A LOOK.
>> YOU STAND THE CHANCE OF GOING
TO JAIL AS A RESULT OF NOT GOING
INTO SERVICE.
>> WELL WHATEVER THE PUNISHMENT
THE PERSECUTION FOR STANDING UP
FOR MY RELIGIOUS BELIEFS EVEN IF
IT MEANS FACING MACHINE GUNFIRE
THAT I DAY I WILL FACE IT BEFORE
ENOUNSING MOHAMMED AND THE
RELIGION OF ISLAM I'M READY TO
DIE.
>> DO YOU HOPE BY HAVING THE
STATE HOLIDAY MORE PEOPLE WILL
GET A COMPLETE PICTURE WHO HE
WAS AS A ACTIVIST AND MAN?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
NOT JUST WHO HE WAS AS AN
ATHLETE, ACTIVIST, A MAN, A
PHILANTHROPIST, A FATHER.
I MEAN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS
EACH OF US IDENTIFY AS.
SO OFTEN IT HAS TO BE ONE THING.
YOU LOOK AT ME, AND YOU SEE ONE
THING MAYBE THERE'S ROOM FOR
TWO.
YOU LOOK AT EACH OF US YOU SEE
ONE OR TWO THINGS AND WE WANTED
TO SHARE OUR IDENTITIES ARE SO
UNIQUE AND SO DEEP.
THE MUHAMMAD ALI DAY
COMMEMORATION IS PART OF A
LARGER BILL THAT REQUIRES ALL
PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS TO LEARN
ABOUT ALL COMMUNITIES OF FAITH
AND THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THOSE
PEOPLE.
SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS THOMAS
JEFFERSON OWNED A QURAN IN HIS
LIBRARY AND THAT SAME QURAN 250
YEARS LATER WAS USED BY
CONGRESSMAN KEITH ELLISON AS HE
TOOK HIS OATH FOR OFFICE.
SHOWS A MORE DYNAMIC AND DIVERSE
AMERICA THAN IF WE WERE TO SAY
ONE THING ABOUT EACH OF US.
>> MARYUM ALI BOTH OF THESE MEN
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. AND YOUR
FATHER ARE ICONIC WE CELEBRATE
HOLIDAYS.
AT THE TIME THEY WERE CONSIDERED
TO BE TROUBLEMAKERS AMONG OTHER
NAMES THEIR OPPONENTS CALLED
THEM.
GIVE US A SENSE ABOUT HOW
HISTORY HAS CHANGED THE PUBLIC
PERCEPTION OF THEM?
>> I THINK HISTORY WENT IN THEIR
DIRECTION.
PEOPLE REALIZED THESE TWO MEN
WERE SINCERE IN THEIR
CONVICTION.
AT THE END OF THE DAY THEY ARE
ADVOCATING FOR ALL HUMAN RIGHTS.
A MAN IS BORN WANTING TO BE
LOVED BY COMMUNITY.
WANTING TO BE LOVED BY HIS
CREATOR.
AND IT TOOK TIME FOR PEOPLE TO
SEE HOW SINCERE THEY WERE.
AND PEOPLE WHO MET MY DAD HIS
PERSONA WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT
FROM BRAGGING ABOUT HIS FIGHTS.
HE TREATED PEOPLE WITH SUCH
KINDNESS.
I'VE SEEN HIM WHETHER HE WAS
TALKING TO A PERSON OF LOW
STATUS, A HOMELESS PERSON OR
SOMEONE VIEWED AS HAVING LOW
STATUS, ECONOMIC STATUS OR THE
KING OF A COUNTRY, HE TREATED
EVERYONE THE SAME.