Muhammad Ali The Frost Interview

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CHEERING

What's the result going to be of the big fight?

No problem.

No problem. This will be the biggest upset since Sonny Liston,

and I think it is befitting

that I go out of boxing just like I came in -

defeating a big, bad monster that nobody could destroy.

A hard punch. I'm the underdog.

If he hits me, I'm in trouble, like the Sonny Liston fight,

but I came back and I shook the world and I got Liston.

Now it's ten years since Sonny Liston.

I'm meeting another big, bad, strong monster,

knockout artist that beats everybody.

Sonny Liston knocked out Patterson twice

and I was supposed to fall but he didn't knock me out

because he could hit hard but he couldn't find nothing to hit.

George Foreman knocked out Ken Norton,

knocked out Joe Frazier.

True, I didn't knock him out

but I'm so fast, so hard-hitting, so scientific,

I'm a totally different man from Frazier and Norton.

Listen, David, when I meet this man,

if you think the world was surprised when Nixon resigned,

wait till I whip Foreman's behind!

I'm telling you, David, I'm down to 215lb,

right now. I said it, 215 - I'm fighting weight already.

I usually train six weeks for a fight. I've trained four months

for a fight. I'm chopping trees. I've done something special.

I've wrestled with an alligator.

I believe you totally!

- I believe you completely. - I have tussled with a whale,

I have handcuffed lightning, thrown thunder in jail.

Now, you know I'm bad. Only last week I murdered a rock,

injured a stone, hospitalised a brick.

I'm so mean I make medicine sick!

The man's in trouble.

Listen, George Foreman, people are afraid of George Foreman.

They talk about how hard he hits.

The world has been deceived.

You listen to me now. I've never told you wrong.

The man don't hit hard.

He knocked Joe Frazier down six times, he got up six times.

Joe "King" Roman, the Tokyo, Japan, fight,

the Puerto Rican champion, knocked him down three times,

he jumped up three times.

He knocked Ken Norton down four times, he jumped up four times.

When have you ever saw the man say, "Seven, eight, nine, ten,

"count this man out"?

When I hit Sonny Liston he stayed out for the count of ten.

Zora Folley stayed out for the count of ten.

Cleveland Williams stayed out for the count of ten.

What few I have knocked out stayed down.

Sugar Ray Robinson - knocked him out for the count of 30.

Joe Louis, Marciano, Jack Dempsey, Jack Johnson, Archie Moore,

Ezra Charles - they knock 'em out cold.

So this man has never knocked nobody out cold.

He's a bully, he's slow, he has no skill, no footwork,

he's awkward, and I have given him a name.

I named Floyd Patterson "The Rabbit",

I named Sonny Liston "The Bear"

and he shall be known, officially, as "The Mummy".

The Mummy!

LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE

- Why? - Why The Mummy?

Because when he's fighting, if you ever watch him in the ring,

he...he drags, like that, after his opponent.

LAUGHTER

And how is The Mummy going to catch me?

When you're fighting a mummy, you keep a step ahead of the mummy. See?

Just move on the mummy.

"No, Mummy, I'm over here. No, I'm over here."

You're moving too fast. The Mummy don't move that fast.

Let me tell you something, David. I shall be The Mummy's Curse that day.

Have you heard of The Mummy's Curse?

Have I heard of The Mummy's Curse(?) I saw the movie.

It's going to be some fight.

The greatest fight, the greatest event of all times

when I get to Kinshasa, Zaire, Africa.

Two billion people will watch the fight

and that's ten times the population of America.

That's like a country ten times bigger than America.

Two billion people, I found out, will fill -

to give you an idea how many people it is -

two billion people will fill an arena of 100,000 seats

every night with new faces for 170 years.

That's a great statistic.

100,000 people every night, new faces, for 170 years.

And I draw that crowd, not George Foreman.

It's my beautiful looks. It's my skill. It's my...

- Yeah. Above all, your beauty. - ..humbleness.

Your beauty and your humbleness.

I think, first of all, it's your humbleness and then it's your beauty.

When you look in the mirror in the morning,

it must be just a wonderful experience.

I've been in the ring, David, for probably 20 years

and I'm as pretty as you!

And slightly fitter.

Which round is it going to end?

I'm not predicting a round.

I could but it puts me on the spot,

because you worry about trying to predict a round,

you might get him early and you call yourself carrying him to that round,

or you might slip up and get hurt. It's too much pressure.

I predict, David, that I'm going to out-dance him,

I'm going to stick him, I'm going to be three times as fast,

I'm going to punch him at will. I might not knock him out cold

but I'll TKO him. I predict a TKO.

I predict that the fight will be stopped on cuts or bruises

or being humiliated. Humiliation will stop the fight.

The referee will step in, "Stop!" because I'll just be popping at will.

Popping and sticking and moving... I'm popping at will

until the man will just have to stop it.

You mean it's going to be the first World title fight ever stopped

on the grounds of humiliation?

No. They've stopped a few of mine for that

and they stopped other ones,

but I'm serious, this man has two chances -

slim and none.

LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE

The man don't stand a chance. When Muhammad Ali is in shape,

when Muhammad Ali is dancing...

Ken Norton broke my jaw in the first fight

and I was flat-footed and they knew I was washed up,

32 years old, 222lb, couldn't train no more,

Cosell and the critics were saying, and I was finished.

Second fight - my jaw was mended, it was going to get broken again,

I might dance a few rounds cos I lost weight -

I probably lost it from not eating this year -

and 12 rounds I danced that night.

They were counting on me cutting out in four, five,

but I danced 12. Joe Frazier was the second fight.

Three-and-a-half years I was off, I still beat Frazier.

They gave him the decision, I know I beat him.

Three years later, which means I'm six-and-a-half years on

from the day they took my title...

I was considered over the hill when they took the title.

Six-and-a-half years from that day, I danced 12 rounds with Joe Frazier.

They figured I'd stop dancing in seven, eight, maybe,

and Joe will find relentless pressure, body punches, attack me,

I'll pull out and he'll beat me.

But I danced for 12,

so that was my last fight.

People were talking about...my legs are going, he's going to get me...

What gives them the idea, what gives them the reason to say

I'm going to stop dancing in two or three rounds

when I just got through dancing 12 with Frazier?

I'm going to be ready to dance 20 this time!

The man is in trouble.

- The man is in trouble? - He's got problems.

He's got problems.

Apart from wrestling with an alligator,

in addition to that, have you done anything special this time? Diet?

It's not just boxers. Any athlete, you have to refrain from anything

that is bad for his health.

- Right. - Especially when you have

a strenuous sport - football, basketball, baseball,

wrestling - anything that takes stamina is hard

and anybody watching this evening, and you yourself,

you get up and jump around, man or woman,

scuffle with somebody, wrestle with them for about three minutes

and watch how tired you get. Serious wrestling in competition

is tiresome. And for 15 rounds before 150,000 people,

knowing two billion people are watching, takes a lot out of you.

And then you've got the world's greatest fighter,

one of the world's best, taking punches at your face,

your body, and little hard gloves on and everything's at stake -

your future, your life, your family, investments, everything's at stake -

this worries you and the pressure and the excitement and the drama...

Even people who come to fights are nervous,

and many of the fans here, and yourself,

the night you go to the fight, although you're not involved,

you'll be nervous, just waiting for the bell to ring.

Finally, these two men are going to clash! Who's going to win?!

Muhammad Ali or George Foreman?

Both of them are great, one's going to fall. Somebody's got to leave.

- AUDIENCE MEMBER: You're... - And you're excited.

You're not as dumb as you look, fella.

LAUGHTER

In what way is Allah... You mentioned Allah.

What way is Allah different from, for instance, the God I believe in?

In what way is he different?

Is he more of a man or...

Allah is a man,

where your God probably is a spirit.

Something that you can't see

and he's formless, somewhere floating around,

- whereas Allah is on Earth. - Is he?

He's a man. That's why you say God created Man in his own image.

If I make a chair in the image or likeness

of that chair you're sitting in, it'll look like that chair.

So if God made us in his image, you're telling me God's a man.

He looks like us and you refer to God as "Him", right?

- He is... - Hmm.

He. Whether it's a cat, rat or dog,

anything of a male sex, you refer to it as him, his or he.

So if God is a spirit and a spook,

why do you keep saying he, him and his?

So we teach that God is on Earth.

He's a supreme being. You're a human being, he's a being too

but he's supreme over the other beings,

so if you take even the Christian teaching

and check it out scientifically,

you keep telling me God's a man,

but when I ask you, "Where is he?" "Well, he's a spirit,

"he's the air, he's everywhere." You keep saying "he".

If God wasn't a man, you would call God "it", of a thing.

So you call God "Him, he". God's a man.

What's greater than a man?

If you make God not a man, you make him less than a man.

What's greater than a man?

There ain't nothing greater than a man.

Helen Reddy says we ought to call God "she".

Could God be a woman?

Well, this is real bad to even think like this.

I wouldn't want to...

I wouldn't answer that question.

But I will tell you something. Once I heard a fellow wise man say once,

he said, "God made man in HIS own image,

"but man made God in his own likeness." Got that?

Man made God in HIS image,

but man turned around and made God in his likeness.

Some make him a cow, some make him a statue,

this woman wants to make God a woman.

So, God made us in HIS image.

Now, who are we to make him the way we want him?

He made us. Are we going to turn around and make him? That's silly.

Do you pray to your God, to Allah?

I pray every morning at five o'clock.

My clock rings at four-thirty, I'm up at five,

I take a shower and I'll put my white robe on,

I put a towel on the floor

and I face the east, towards Mecca,

and we say, "Surely I have turned myself to thee, oh Allah,

"trying to be upright to him who has originated the heavens and the Earth,

"and I am not of the polytheists.

"Surely my prayers, my sacrifices, my life and my death

"are all for Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.

"No associate has he,

"this am I commanded.

"I am of those who submit.

"Oh Allah, thou art the King.

"Thou art my Lord and I am thine servant.

"I have been greatly unjust to myself

"and I do confess my faults,

"so please grant me protection against all my faults,

"for none grants protection against faults but thou

"and to lead me to the best of morals

"for none can turn away from me the worst of morals but thee.

"And guide me to the best of morals

"for none can guide to the best of morals but thee.

"Oh Allah, make the Honourable Elijah Muhammad successful

"and make the followers of Muhammad successful

"here in the wilderness of North America

"as thou didst make Abraham and the followers of Abraham successful

"for surely thou art praised and magnified in our midst.

"Allah bless Muhammad and bless the followers of Muhammad

"here in the wilderness of North America

"as thou didst bless Abraham and the followers of Abraham

"for surely thou art praised and magnified in our midst."

And ain't nothing more beautiful than getting up in the morning,

brushing your teeth, washing out your mouth,

taking the sin and evil out that you've gotten from this world,

comb your hair, wash the dirt out of your hair,

clean your ears, all parts of your body,

put a clean white robe on, don't even stand on the dirty floor,

stand on the towel, no shoes on,

facing the east, asking the originator of the universe

to make me better, make me stronger,

give me more power. This is done five times a day

when I can, especially when I go to bed, another bath, another shower,

clean my mouth, pray, and at five in the morning,

this goes on when I'm right. I didn't do that for the first Frazier fight

nor the first Norton fight.

- Really? - No, sir.

My head got big and I started thinking it was my training camp

and my boxing ability that kept me well, and God punished me

and he gave me a good whupping, he broke my jaw in the second fight

and he got me whooped and knocked down in the Frazier fight

and I realised I wasn't that great after all,

so I had to get together not only physically but spiritually.

For this fight, I prayed every day for five days,

five times a day for the past, um, four months,

and everything is perfect

and if Allah is with me,

it ain't no way no man can win, no way!

When I got Allah and Elijah Muhammad, can't no human being win.

There's no way. No way.

Cos I'm representing God.

I'm representing the freedom of black people in America.

I want to be the one black man who stands up and looks at white people

and tell the truth, who don't sell them out,

who don't Uncle Tom, who don't promote cigarettes,

don't promote whisky,

take his fame to uplift his little brother in the ghetto

because all the other movie stars and all the other people that you know,

like Diahann Carroll, one you know, they all want to marry a white,

and they don't think black

and on down the line, there's many more I can name.

Make movies hugging on white women.

They get their fame and they leave their little people,

so I'm asking God, Allah, to make me strong,

not for me, don't give me no money,

don't give me the fame. I want to win so I can come home

and speak for the brother who's living in rat-infested houses,

sleeping on concrete in the ghetto,

can't go on television and speak,

so God, I'm your tool, I'm your servant, let me get this man tonight,

and go out blasting.

That's the way I think.

That's... That is an incredible speech.

What you do for black pride is absolutely incredible.

- This is the way I feel. - Yeah.

- And what you do for black pride... - I'm not fighting for me,

I'm looking at George Foreman, I'm looking at the Establishment,

the flag-waver. If he wins,

I'm thinking - which is not true - but if he wins,

we're enslaved for 300 more years.

If I win, we're free.

I'm not Foreman, you know that?

LAUGHTER

When I see Foreman, I don't see a black man. I see you.

- Yeah. - I see... I see the White House.

LAUGHTER

I'm not the White House, either!

I see something white!

LAUGHTER

I don't know what...

APPLAUSE

HE PANTS

I'm fighting.

I'm fighting slavery!

I want to be free.

- That's what I'm fighting. - OK, you can be free.

You persuaded me.

- You do a fantastic... - It's the way I think.

I just don't be fighting.

I've got to get my mind like this, see?

I'm bucking so many odds, and a bad man,

so too much for me to handle.

I've got to call on the supreme being to step in, to intervene.

The same with the Liston fight, I did a lot of praying.

And same with the draft, the same with the second Norton fight,

the second Frazier fight. Divine power came in.

If you watched the last round of Norton, the last round of Frazier,

you find that if I lost the last round with Frazier in this fight,

I would've lost the fight. If I lost the last round of the Norton fight,

I lost the fight. Those two fights,

I got a supreme power from the supreme being.

I started dancing, I started moving and anybody that watched that fight

don't know how Muhammad Ali came back in them rounds

cos I prayed to heaven and I relied on Allah and I DANCED!

I DANCED! I was sticking and dancing.

I was eating Frazier up in that last round.

Ken Norton - came back after a broken jaw, dancing.

He was fast, and I was faster.

So this fight - I'm calling on all everything.

Not only my physical ability but all over.

The supreme being, Allah.

I'm working for him. I'm going into this fight

as the servant of Allah, who is the teacher of Elijah Muhammad

who's here to free black people

and get them something that they can call their own

and that's why I'm going in his name, Elijah Muhammad,

and in God's name, to take this title,

to help influence and wake up my people and unite them

and clean them up.

Nobody else is doing it, nobody else big is doing it,

so this, for me, is a holy war.

This ain't just no fight with George Foreman,

but I'm fighting for the freedom and equality

of the black man of America,

and I'm fighting the opposer and the Uncle Tom

who is out to keep us down.

George Foreman win the fight,

he might make a movie hugging a blonde next week.

I don't know what he might do.

He might take that fame and lead our people wrong.

If I make a move, I'd have to hug a sister.

So I have to hug my own.

So I'm going in, "This is spiritual.

"This ain't no fight no more. This ain't no sport no more."

As one man have on the New Times magazine, called New Times, says -

headline: "Can Allah Save Ali?"

They know it's divine too.

"Can Allah Save Ali?"

But, I mean, the thing is that obviously the first thing

that's got to happen is that... DAVID LAUGHS

Is that there's black pride, right?

And that you are giving black people all over the world a pride and

a self-respect that through Allah and so on, they've never had before.

Not me. Not me, I'm representing the man who is.

But what about stage two of this?

What about stage two -

you were talking about hugging a blonde and so on -

what about stage two of it?

How do blacks and white... When blacks have their self-respect,

how do blacks and whites get together?

Cos if they don't get together and live together,

- we ain't got no world. - Get together... Get together how?

Well, how do we live together, how do blacks and whites

live together in peace and get together?

Well, number one, the black man wants to become independent

and if he's got something of his own, then you can respect one another.

You can't respect a man always in your house begging.

You're feeding him, you're clothing him,

always around you begging - don't do nothing for himself.

America must help the slave to go for himself

and Elijah Muhammad says the honest way we can get together

is to let the slave live to himself, govern himself, marry yourself,

rule himself, build for himself and educate himself

on some land of his own.

Total separation of the races is what we believe is the solution

to our problem.

A black man on his own land building for self.

Everybody has a nation, but the Negroes in America.

- But... - Everybody has a nation.

This is a bold statement, but nobody else can say this,

everybody has their own country and land but the Negroes in America.

You're from England. You don't like it over, you can go back home.

There's a Nigerian out there, he don't like it, he can go back home.

Oh, there's a Mexican out there, he don't like it, he can go back home.

Oh, there's a Puerto Rican out there, he go back home.

Where do we call home? Do you know where my home is? Where...

Chinese are named after China. Cubans are named after Cuba.

Pakistanis named after Pakistan. Russians named after Russia.

Australians after Australia. Englishmen after England.

What country named Negroes?

- Well... - Why are we called Negroes?

Well, there's obviously...

So the honest way we goin' get together

is for us to get a knowledge of ourselves.

Africans, I guess, is the word for Negro, isn't it?

No.

- Africans are named after Africa. - Africa should be for the Africans.

What I'm trying to say to you is this - the honest way we goin'

to get together is for us to get a knowledge of ourselves.

We don't want to get together with white people,

we got to get together first.

See, for one to be with one, I gotta be one. We are not yet one.

You have a leader, everybody's got... Somebody represents England.

Ford represents America. Sadat represents Egypt.

Hussein represents Jordan. Ms So-and-so represents Israel...

Uh, now, who represent us?

Black people have a meeting, 64 leaders show up.

See, we not one, we too divided.

And after we quit cutting each other, pulling each other down,

fighting, disrespecting each other, cleaning up self, respect self,

gang wars and all kinds of problems,

after we unite, then if there's any love left,

then we love somebody else.

But first, WE gotta unite.

So, ain't no such thing as, "How do we get together?"

WE gotta get together first and then you ask me that question.

- All right. How long will it take? - We not together.

How long will it take for you all to get together?

As soon as the black people all get behind Elijah Muhammad

they'll be together.

Only's one man getting black people together and that's Elijah Muhammad,

the man that white people and the Government don't talk about.

They fear him and don't give him no press and don't want nobody

to hear him, cos once you hear him - if you black - you never the same.

But what about other black leaders like Martin Luther King,

the Reverend Jesse Jackson and black leaders around the world as well -

Do you respect what they're doing too? Kenneth Cowan...

Not what they're doing, not what they're doing.

Jesse Jackson's a crook. He steals everything Elijah Muhammad's got.

Everything he do is Elijah Muhammad's programme

but with another title on it. See?

And Martin Luther King, his goal was to walk down the street

one day with a white girl, we don't call that progress.

No white woman watching this show or no white man

in his or her right mind, white mind, want black boys and black girls

marrying their white sons and daughters,

in return introducing their grandchildren

as half-brown kinky-haired Negroes.

- They don't want it. And... - Why not?

Why not? You know why not.

Nobody else... And I'll tell you somethin' else, why not? For what?

Every man likes a son who look like himself.

I love my little boy and my wife, pretty brown girl, look like me.

I love my daughters, I don't want no blond-headed, green-headed daughters.

No, but no. But surely, no, everybody wants a child...

That looks like himself.

No, everyone wants a child that looks like the combination

of himself and the woman he loves, and therefore

if the combination comes out coffee, what's wrong with that?

No, I tell you what, the integrated couples don't make it.

I can name them all week, they just don't make it

and the world's against it, God's against it.

It ain't because we hate each other...

Bluebirds and redbirds are both birds but they don't get along.

Pigeons and eagles don't fly together, the buzzards,

everything hangs out with its own.

White people...culture's different from black people.

Puerto Ricans and Indonesians cannot integrate.

Egyptians and Germans cannot integrate.

Australians and Mexicans cannot integrate.

They have different foods, they have different music, different cultures.

See, you white and I'm black.

If white people have a party tonight and black people have a party,

the party will be 100% different, the music...

I go to a white restaurant, we integrate their way.

You go into a white restaurant,

you gotta look all day on the jukebox to find some music...

- No, no, no. - ..that I want to hear.

At our party we'll have Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder...

Hold it now, let me tell you, let me tell you now.

If I go play a jukebox in a white restaurant,

anybody black'll tell ya in there,

you got to look all over that box for some black music.

Hank Snow...

- Johnny Cash... - Josh White.

All kind of names I ain't never heard of. You know...

# When that train comes around the mountain... #

Choo-choo!

# When that train, train, train, train comes

# And the truck driver... #

So what I'm saying is...ain't nothing wrong with that music,

but that fits the white culture. You go into our joints...

# Oh, baby, don't leave... #

LAUGHTER

# Oh, I cried all night

# Who's that running out of my back door, honey

# Ooh-ooh. #

See, those our problems.

Then I go to a Chinese restaurant -

# Pwing ting tang tong tonne ting... #

So, we can't integrate. We ain't gonna never have no peace.

The culture, the nature's different.

I don't hate you, we can eat in your restaurant.

If we want to marry your women, we got your women now.

There ain't nothing we can't do today, but these things the dog got.

I see dogs on television eating out the same plate with white people.

I see dogs on the buses and they do everything with the dogs,

so I ain't getting nothing the dog ain't got.

So, really, ain't nothing in this integration, I need some land,

I need some jobs, my people need jobs, we need something

so we can build and do for ourselves and we must have some land.

40 million people - you know,

that's a lot of Negroes just in New York, in Cleveland,

Baltimore, Washington, California, that's a lot of black...

- 40 million? 20 million, isn't it? - Whoo, that's a whole nation.

40 million, man. They don't tell you the truth about that. They want us

- to stop having babies... - I thought it was 20 million.

They're paying black women not to have babies...

It's 40 million, not 20 million?

Yeah, they're paying black women not to have babies now,

they've got all kind of plans to stop our race.

Everyone's getting into birth control, not just blacks.

So when we know all of this, so now a man with my knowledge,

what can you tell a man like me now? What's your suggestion?

Ask you a question.

OK, you're talking to me, not a dumb Negro,

or pork chop eater who don't know the truth, I'm free now, I woke up.

Now, what are you going to tell me now?

I done gave you my solutions, some land of my own,

doing something for myself like you, England and America do.

Now, I know you're not against the black man,

I know you're not against me having my land, are you?

Not at all.

I know you English ruled and slaved for ever,

for a long time, but do you still today don't want me

to have my own country and build for myself and govern myself?

Would you think that's bad if we felt like that?

I think...

What's your solution to my problem?

1974, the white man just flew from New York to England in an hour,

less than two hours.

You all saw progress if you're walking around on other planets.

Now, today, I'm intelligent too now, what do you...

What's your suggestion, what should be my movement - integrate?

Yeah, equal rights in a mixed society.

In this society where you still own the government,

you still own the train station,

the railroad plant, the lecture plant, these television cameras.

You still make all the food, you control everything

and I'm like a leech on a dog's back -

all I can do is just wait for you.

I can't do nothing for myself.

Integrating into your society don't mean

I'm doing nothing for myself, you're doing it all.

I want to do something for myself, I'm tired of depending on you.

You might get broke one day.

Your stores might close, your gas pumps might cut off again.

I'm relying on you now. Can I have my own land and country?

Well, you've got your own freedom here, for instance.

I know you're luckier than many black people in America,

but you're your own boss.

- I'm speaking for my nation. - I know, I appreciate that.

If I was representing just me,

I wouldn't be talking like this cos I got it made.

I'm talking for my brothers...

But I just don't see how, Muhammad...

You don't see how?

I don't see how you can slice up America into bits

and get all the whites in one area and all the blacks in another.

Well, we leave then. We leave.

- But they'd miss you. - I know it.

Is this definitely, whatever happens, your last fight?

- My last. This is the last... - Win or lose, it's your...

Ain't no such thing as lose, this is the last of Muhammad Ali,

so enjoy the fight, get to the theatre

and see perpetual motion in action.

The most scientific, the most creative, the most artistic...

I'm an era, I'm not just boxing.

This is an era going out, the most talked about,

the most colourful, the most wisest mentally,

the most controversial, the boldest, the most courageous,

the greatest fighter, the best looking physically...

- The most humble! - ..of all times,

this will be the last rumble, and I invite all of you

to be there among those of us who dare to dare.

To dare to dare to dare.

And when one day you die, and you appear before Allah...

We don't die, we don't go nowhere when we die.

The Islamic teaching's different to Christianity.

When you die, you're dead, you don't go nowhere.

- You don't go nowhere? - Where you going to go?

Look, I'll prove to you...

You go dig up some graves that died 200 years ago,

I bet you the bones are still there.

They don't go nowhere, they ain't no people going nowhere.

"The dead rise and see the light" -

that meant the people who were mentally dead

and you're looking at one now.

I was once a Christian, I was once a Clay, a Negro.

Before I heard Elijah Muhammad, I couldn't talk to you.

I couldn't open my mouth.

See, he makes the lame speak, makes the blind see,

makes the lame walk, makes the deaf talk. See, that's Elijah Muhammad.

We are those who were dead for four, three days, mean 300 years,

that was a parable, you didn't understand it.

There no dead man get up and rise

and there ain't no dead man going to rise.

The mentally dead will rise.

When I'm dead, that's it, my son will carry on,

but you really don't believe that and once you hear the truth,

you don't want no pie up in the sky after you die, you want

something solid while you're still around here on the ground.

LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE

I was going to ask you if you got any poems for our audience

and you've given us one just ad-libbed.

Yeah, I don't...

I wrote something once and it's titled Truth.

It explains what I'm saying now, you could probably close on this.

It says, The face of truth is open

The eyes of truth are bright

The lips of truth are ever closed

And the head of truth is upright

The breast of truth stands forward

The gaze of truth is straight

Truth has neither fear nor doubt

Truth has patience to wait

The words of truth are touching

The voice of truth is deep

The law of truth is simple -

All you sow, you reap

The soul of truth is flaming

The heart of truth is warm

The mind of truth is clear

And firm through rain and storm

Facts are only its shadow

Truth stands above all sin

Great be the battle of life

Truth in the end shall win

The image of truth is Elijah Muhammad

Wisdom's message is his rod

The sign of truth is the crescent

And the soul of truth is God

A life of truth is eternal

Immortal is its past

Power of truth shall endure

Truth shall hold to the last.

One last question.

At the end of your life, whether it was Allah who was saying it,

Elijah Muhammad,

or whether it was something that someone wrote about you after

you had gone, what's the thing you would most like people

to say about your life - he was a great champion, or what?

What would you like people to think about you when you've gone?

I'd like for them to say, "He took a few cups of love,

"he took one tablespoon of patience,

"one tablespoon...teaspoon of generosity,

"one pint of kindness,

"he took one quart of laughter, one pinch of concern

"and then he mixed willingness with happiness,

"he added lots of faith, and he stirred it up well.

"Then he spread it over the span of a lifetime

"and he served it to each and every deserving person he met."

Muhammad Ali, thank you very much.

All right.

APPLAUSE