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Page 6 June 15, 2016 O PINION Opinion articles do not necessarily represent the views of the Portland Observer. We welcome reader essays, photos and story ideas. Submit to news@portlandobserver.com. Champion Boxer, Activist and World Icon Muhammad Ali was my idol m arC h. m orial How would you approach the colossal task of describing a man who once boast- ed that he, “wrestled with alligators, tussled with a whale, done handcuffed lightning and throw thunder in jail. Only a man you al- low to deine himself—in his own colorful words—which is what Muhammad Ali did his entire life and throughout his legendary box- ing career. Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. was born where he was buried: Louis- ville, Kentucky. His mother was a cook and house cleaner and his fa- ther was a frustrated painter with big dreams, dreams he would pass on to both his sons along with this constant refrain— “I am the great- est.” Ali’s legendary boxing career began with a beloved, stolen bi- cycle. The $60 red Schwinn was a Christmas gift from his father, and it would set the wheels in mo- tion for an angry 12-year-old kid by who claimed he would “whup” the person who stole his bike, to step into a ring, pick up boxing gloves and ight for justice. It was a dein- ing moment and a trope that would shape his professional and personal life. Ali was a great ighter, but his ights were never limit- ed to the inside of a boxing ring. Ali’s career was teem- ing with personal success, but every win in and out of the ring was a win for every man or woman who ever felt attacked, or had to bob and weave past the ferocious jabs of social injustice. Ali was a professional athlete, but he used that platform to make an impact that transcended pugilism. Famous people often take up caus- es, but Ali is the greatest because he stood up for his principles and made consequential sacriices on behalf of those causes. After winning a gold medal in the Rome Olympics and beating Sonny Liston for the heavyweight championship, the newly crowned 22-year-old champ renounced his given name, Cassius Clay, as a “slave name” and revealed that he was a member of the Nation of Islam. His new faith and his new name drew intense contro- versy and lost him many fans, but he persevered and successfully defended his title every time he stepped in the ring. In 1967, Ali was drafted to serve in the Army during the height of our nation’s war in Viet- nam. He refused to serve, saying, ““I ain’t got no quarrel with them Viet Cong,” and requested con- scientious-objector status from ighting against people he said never lynched him or put dogs on him. No slight of hand in the ring, head fake or lightening quick shufle was as bold as Ali’s refusal to ight in a war he did not believe in. The reaction was swifter and harder than the punches of any op- ponent Ali had ever faced. Many called him a traitor. Ali was con- victed of draft evasion, stripped of his heavyweight title and banned from boxing. While he wasn’t locked up for sticking to his con- viction, he was locked out of the sport the brought him to fame. He sacriiced four years of his career and untold millions rather than re- nounce his anti-war stance. Ali would return to the ring in 1970 and would go on to thrill boxing fans, supporters, and crit- ics, with his skill in the ring. Loud and unapologetic, Ali would con- tinue to speak out against social injustice and preach the gospel of Black pride. Never forgetting those who were still “catching hell” while he had it made, Ali understood that “service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” The 12-year-old boy who lost his bike at the hands of an unknown thief may have changed his name, but never wa- vered from his purpose: to seek justice. His ight for justice was never his alone; it was for every- one. It was during this period of his career that I, a star-struck 13-year- old, was thrilled to meet Ali at an Alpha Phi Alpha convention in Milwaukee. I was awed by him have considered him a hero all my life. One of my prized posses- sions is an autographed Ali box- ing glove, a cherished wedding gift from my wife. Later, I was honored to serve as an Ali Center Board Member for several years. Ali laid his gloves down for the last time in 1980. After retiring, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. As the progressive con- dition robbed him of his poetry, stinging provocations and phys- ical dexterity, he became a more cherished igure, here and abroad, and the accolades poured in for breadth of Ali’s career as a boxer and activist. He was the irst boxer on a box of Wheaties. He lit the Olympic lame during the Atlanta Olym- pics. President Bush presented Ali with the Medal of Freedom, and the National Urban League honored Ali with the highest com- mendation presented by the orga- nization by giving him an Equal Opportunity Day Award. He was my idol and his cour- age has been a beacon for so many in my generation. Ali fought his last battle against his most vicious foe in the public eye for over 30 years. While we mourn the time of his departure, we are reminded of what made him “the greatest of all time.” We should all draw comfort from knowing that he competed well. We take pride in the fact that he inished the race. And we recognize that we are all better because he kept the faith. Rest in peace, champ. Marc H. Morial is president and chief executive of the National Urban League. Blaming People for their Own Poverty is a Myth The illusion goes back centuries italism, Adam Smith extolled the virtues of working hard and being thrifty with money. That wasn’t just the way to get rich, he rea- soned — it was morally righteous. Sociologist Max We- by j ill r iChardson ber took the idea further If you’re poor, many in describing what he Americans think, it’s called the Protestant your own fault. It’s a work ethic. sign of your own moral To Puritans who be- failing. lieved that one was ei- I don’t personally be- lieve that, but the idea has roots in ther predestined for heaven or for our culture going back centuries. hell, Weber wrote, working hard In The Wealth of Nations, the and accumulating wealth was a foundational work of modern cap- sign of God’s blessing. Those he Law Oices of Patrick John Sweeney, P.C. Patrick John Sweeney Attorney at Law 1549 SE Ladd, Portland, Oregon Portland: Hillsoboro: Facsimile: Email: (503) 244-2080 (503) 244-2081 (503) 244-2084 Sweeney@PDXLawyer.com who got rich, the Puritans thought, must have been chosen by God for heaven; those who were poor were damned. Even major American philan- thropists have subscribed to this idea. John D. Rockefeller, a religious Baptist, thought his extraordinary wealth was evidence from God of his righteousness. Fortunately, he took this as a sign that he should use his money for good. He gave it to universities and medical re- search centers, and his descen- dants used it for great art muse- ums, national parks, and more. But Rockefeller also believed that the poor were often deserving of their fate. If they’d just worked harder or budgeted their mon- ey wisely, then they wouldn’t be poor. Plenty of Americans agree. Sadly, that’s often not the case. The irst factor determining one’s wealth as an adult is an ac- cident of birth. If you’re born to wealthy parents, you’ll go to bet- ter schools and get better health care. Your odds of success as an adult are higher. If, on other hand, you’re born to poor parents who must work multiple jobs instead of staying home to care for you — or who can’t afford healthy food, medical care, or a house in a good school district — your chances of earning your way into the middle class as an adult plummet. In fact, if your parents’ income is in the bottom 20 percent, there’s a 40 percent chance you’ll be stuck in that low-income bracket for your entire life. Thanks to rac- ism, that igure rises to 50 percent for black people born into poverty. Indeed, racial disparities crop up even at the bottom of the lad- der. Due to historic racism and dis- crimination, data from the Eco- nomic Policy Institute shows, low-income white families tend to be wealthier than black families making the same income. Further- more, whites are more likely to have friends and family who can help them out of a inancial bind. Finally, thanks to decades of discriminatory housing and lending practices, black families are more likely to live in poorer neighborhoods. That impacts the quality of the schools they attend, among many other things. So why can’t a hardworking family get ahead? For one thing, it’s expensive to be poor. Try inding an affordable place to live. You need to have enough cash on hand to pay a deposit. Many apartments require you to prove your income is 2.5 times the cost of the rent. Public assistance programs only help the most destitute, and often don’t provide enough even then. For the disabled, the situation is worse. In theory, Social Security provides for those with disabili- ties. In reality, getting approved for disability payments is costly (in both medical and legal fees) and dificult. Once you get ap- proved, disability payments are low, condemning you to poverty for life. In short, there are many reasons why poor Americans are poor. It doesn’t help that our society thinks it’s their own fault. OtherWords columnist Jill Richardson is the author of Recipe for America: Why Our Food Sys- tem Is Broken and What We Can Do to Fix It.