ALI Discussion Question

[Polidano]

What do you think prompts Muhammad Ali to change his name from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali? Why do you think it is so hard for Muhammad’s father to accept this change?

[mattiodapattio]

I think the two major factors that provoke Mahomad Ali to change his name are the following. First of all the environment and time period he grew up in, he grew up in a time of extreme racism and prejudice. Second with that drive he saw that Malcolm x was taking a stand against it and decided he wanted to and this is the way he did it. His dad did not support this because he felt like Muhammad was ashamed of him and was abandoning his family and name, he just couldn't see how Muhammad was looking at it he didn't understand his prospective.

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[danny_76]

Ali changes his name because he does not want to have his given slave name. Cassius Clay is not a name an African would have so Ali changes it because he doesn't want to be seen as an American but rather a Muslim African. The racism he sees in the USA angers him so he wants to have as little American in him as possible because he'd rather identify as African. The racism and the civil rights movement prompts him to change his name. Ali's father has trouble accepting the name change because he was Cassius JR and it seems like he doesn't want to be apart of that family/father son connection. Ali's father used to paint white images of Jesus because that was his job. Muhammad didn't like that because it supports the white man but his father speaks of how that put food on the table and that he should be okay with that. His father has trouble accepting the change because he feels that Muhammad may feel ashamed to be apart of the family and not support what the family does.

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[Christine Sim]

Muhammad Ali decided to change his name for significant reasons. First, Clay is the name of his ancestors who were slaves. He does not want to feel as if his life is owned by anyone else other than himself. He wants to be independent and make a name for himself because he does not want the past to define him as an individual. He wants to be in control of his own life. Next, he does not want to be seen as an American. This is due to the fact that he is not treated as an equal because of his skin colour. He is a Muslim-African and he wants his name to represent this. Last, his good friend, Malcolm X, made a huge influence on Ali. Ali saw Malcolm as his mentor and looked up to him. Ali was inspired by Malcolm X to change his last name which eventually, in a way, lead him to change his name to Muhammad Ali. Muhammad's father had a difficult time accepting his new name for many reasons. Not only did his father feel betrayed, but he also felt angry. His father feels as if Ali is ashamed for being part of the family that his father worked so hard for. His father feels disrespected because he thinks that Ali changing his name shows that he is ungrateful for everything that his father has done for him.

[Isabella_Smith]

I Think Muhammad Ali changed his name because he doesn't want to be linked to his past, his ancestors slave life. He wanted his own name to re-image himself and to start fresh. The previous name he had was not his, it was someone else's that was given to him. Because of this, he changed his name, not only to show that he is not connected to his slave name anymore, but also to show that he is a Muslim and is African American. His Dad his not like this though because it probably made him feel like he was abandoning his family. Although it might not be his own name, they are connected by it, and by choosing to be called something else he might have found that they lost that connection. He also might have felt that Muhammad was ungrateful for everything he was given and for everything he did for him.

[jacob kennedy]

Ali didn’t want to be called by his “slave name” any more and felt like that wasn’t his true name so he switched it to Muhammad Ali. Ali’s father was upset because he felt that he was disrespecting him because he was named after his father. Another reason his father was upset about it was he changed his religion and beliefs and that really triggered his father because he was raised Christian his whole life and his father felt like he was just throwing that all away.

[Laura_B]

Muhammad Ali changed his name from Cassius Clay to show that he was in control of his own life. He was making the statement that he was free to choose his own name, like he is free to choose his own religion. He was proving to himself and to the whole world that he is not defined by the past and he would not let anyone make his decisions for him. I think it was hard for Muhammad’s father to accept this change because he felt like his son was disrespecting him. In the film it is depicted that Muhammad’s father worked hard to provide for his family, and when Muhammad decided to change his name it was like he was forgetting his roots. In a way Muhammad’s father probably felt betrayed because Clay was not only there given slave name, but also their family history.

[Brendan schuck]

Ali changes his name because he no longer wants to be represented by his slave name. Ali wants to be in control of his own life and changing his name. He may have also changed it to be more in tune with his faith. Mohammed’s dad was angry about this decision because he felt like Mohammed was turning his back on his family by neglecting to use the name that he had given him. This would be a hard thing to accept because he raised Mohammed as a Christian and he feels betrayed by him.

[jessica vautour]

He wanted to change his name because he no longer wanted to be associated with his slave name. He wanted to set an example and stand up for his race, so he resisted to white dominance during the Civil Rights Movement. Ali's father did not want him to change his name because he felt as though he was disrespecting him. Muhammad was named after his father and raised as a Christian and his father did not want him to throw all that away.

[SamDePooter41]

Ali changed his name for two reasons. Firstly, he no longer wanted to be known by his slave name, Cassius Clay, and secondly, he converted from Christianity to Muslim. Muhammad is a Muslim name. His father was disapproving of his change because he felt like not only was his son disrespecting the family name, but also getting rid of family history.

[Julia S]

Muhamad Ali changed his name because he did not want to be referred to by a name that he was given as a slave. His old name was not one that was his own because it was given to him by his slave owner. Changing his name shows how he is not owned by anyone and that he is a changed man. His father is upset that Ali changed his name because even though his old name was a slave name, it was still his family name. Ali's dad thinks that Ali is abandonning his family by changing his name.

[Angienunez]

Clay is the name of his ancestors who were slaves. He does not want to feel as if his life is owned by anyone else other than himself. He wants to be independent and make a name for himself because he does not want the past to define him as an individual. He wants to be in control of his own life. he does not want to be seen as an American. This is due to the fact that he is not treated as an equal because of his skin colour. He is also African and Muslim and he wants his name to represent that. Ali's father has trouble accepting the name change because he was Cassius JR and it seems like he doesn't want to be apart of that family/father son connection.  His father feels disrespected because he thinks that Ali changing his name shows that he is ungrateful for everything that his father has done for him.

[KaiHuget32]

I think that the most affecting reasons in that Muhammad Ali changed his name was due to the fact that his original last name Clay, was derived from his family and their past as slaves, with that last name given to them by slave owners. During this time, racism was still very prominent and by changing his entire name as well as his identity with others, Muhammad Ali was taking a stand towards racism. Also, by changing his religion to becoming a Muslim alongside other prominent figures like Malcolm X, he was showing that he was a free man. Although Muhammad Ali had went through these changes in his life, there were still others who chose no to support him and in a way antagonize him. People like the boxing commentators and even Muhammad Ali's own father had continued to address him by Cassius Clay until he had finally confronted the situation himself.

[Monahan]

In my opinion, Muhammed Ali changed his name from Cassius Clay for three reasons. Firstly, I believe that the name change was partially for the publicity. Its not all the time that you see a boxer or fighter on or approaching the top of the scene suddenly change their name. You don't just see popular fighters such as Connor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather change their names, as they had already established themselves under their names. Ali however, had already established his name under Cassius Clay as a boxer, and then changed his name as an honor, which leads me into my second point, the religious aspect. Muhammed Ali in the film, as well as in real life is Muslim. In the Muslim faith, the prophet Muhammed is seen as the highest person in their faith. He is honored and worshiped as well as studied by Muslims everywhere. When the Muslim community asks Cassius Clay to take on the honor of naming himself after Muhammed, he would do it for his faith. Lastly, Ali changed his name due to him being stuck in his shell as Cassius Clay. Even though his father may feel differently about the name change than Muhammed, Muhammed wanted to change his name which is themost important thing. Not even mentioning the Malcolm X scenario where Malcolm was fighting for the rights of African Americans everywhere. Finally, I'd like to talk about Ali's father, who was quite disappointed at the name change and likely felt insulted, as Ali was named after him. To get his name changed after Ali was named after his father would be quite heartbreaking to him, and would feel terrible and a disgrace of a father. No father should have to go through those growing pains, but such is life, and he gets through it, which is quite admirable. Therefore, eventually accepting the change, even though it was extremely difficult to do so.

[Bradsimonn]

Ali's name change comes from the racial tension that he has grown up with. He doesn't feel comfortable with a name that has been oppressed and 'owned' for decades. He'd rather start fresh under the guidance of Allah where he can be pure and not owned by a white male. His dad could not accept this as it goes against his name which Ali would no longer carry. Also, he is of catholic descent not muslim

[Max Lariviere]

Ali feels the name given to him has a long history of racial tension and opression. He decides that he doesn’t want to be associated with America or his own namesake and changes his name to Mohammed Ali. Ali’s father doesn’t approve of this and feels his son is trying to distance himself from his own family by changing his first name which was taken from his father.

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