It's been a busy Saturday. It was mainly cloudy and cool, but the humidity was high. I did some weeding and planting in the front beds and felt sweaty but it was the humidity not hard work <smile>. After the usual laundry and cleaning tasks, I did some reading for research purposes. I walked out to visit a friend and by early evening the walk back was through misty drizzle. It was not unpleasant at all. All around town the apple blossoms are out -- pink ornamental trees and the white wild trees. It is lovely.
The news today brought me the message of the passing of Muhammad Ali. I remember seeing him on Saturday afternoon Wide World of Sports in the early days before his name change. Cassius Clay was already a household name. Converting to Islam and becoming an outspoken conscientious objector to the draft for the Viet Nam war made Muhammad Ali something far more than a boxing champion. His career was interrupted when he was arrested for draft dodging. After several years and a successful legal case before the Supreme Court, he returned to boxing and with much work did very well again. For people who were not around during this time, publicly making a stand against a major government policy was almost unheard of by an African American man. Yes, there were several civil rights advocates speaking out at the time; yet, they all risked life and health by doing so. It may be difficult to understand this given the same country now has a black president, but the 1960s were a very different time socially -- not all love, music and flowers. Though he was a polarizing figure, he will be remembered for taking a stand and sticking to his principles.
The song today came to mind after I read the news. While Cassius Clay did make a record, more spoken word than singing, the song I recalled was about this man rather than by him. Enjoy!
Black Superman (Muhammad Ali theme song) -- Johnny Wakelin
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