Rabbi Michel Lerner and Muhammad Ali were both arrested and imprisoned for their stances against the war in Vietnam. Rabbi Lerner was asked to speak today at Muhammad Ali’s memorial in Louisville, Kentucky. He made a speech citing Muhammad Ali’s activism and his integrity. The speech was powerful, attacking the one percent and drone warfare, incarceration and oppression all over the world. Somewhere in the middle of his rousing speech he hit upon why and what Muhammad Ali was and is and can be for us all.
It’s for that reason that tens of millions of Americans who don’t particularly care about boxing, do care about Muhammad Ali. Because he was a person who was willing to risk a great honor that he got and the great fame that he got to stand up for the beliefs that he had. To speak truth to power when the rest of the people around him said ‘no, no, you’re going to lose your championship.’ And it was taken away from him for five years, but he stood up and was willing to take that kind of a risk because of that kind of moral integrity.
So I want to say how do we honor Muhammad Ali? And the answer is, the way to honor Muhammad Ali is to be Muhammad Ali today.
It’s worth watching all eight and half minutes.