1971: Muhammad Ali Says Racial Integration is Wrong

I gave this assignment to this year's Public Speaking class back in early March.  That feels like a few years ago now that I think about it.

I wanted the 12th graders to see what an unpopular opinion looks like.  They get 'diversity is our strength' put in front of them all the time - and no one questions it.  Certainly no one ever asks for proof.  It's become dogma.  Muhammad Ali was one of the best at using rhetorical skills to take the current dogma and slam it to the floor.  He does it here in 1971, much to the consternation of the British interviewer.

I wish we had a young Ali here to speak, seeing how wretched things have become.  As a side note, every student had a lot to say on this one.  I had 100% return for this assignment, and students had a lot to say, especially the young women, who did not like his message.

This was the assignment:

Muhammad Ali talks about racial integration in USA; November 1971 on Parkinson, a British television chat show.

1) Explain how Muhammad Ali uses rhetoric, and only rhetoric, to take command of the conversation. He deftly calls the interviewer a liar. Explain how he did that.

2) Ali argues a point that was controversial at the time, and his points would be more controversial today. How would people react to this interview today?

3) Is Ali correct? Argue your position on this controversial topic.