Dissecting the Greatest
(A Tribute to Muhammad Ali)
By Obi Egbuna Jr
As Muhammad Ali is being laid to rest we want to send his family and closest friends our warmest condolences while they are dealing with his loss as well of the outpour of overwhelming attention
Our former enslavers and colonizers did not have the decency to wait until his burial to use their platforms towards his reinvention
Because African people’s unwillingness to forgive and forget is indescribable
Too many of us see absolutely nothing wrong with our enemies presenting Ali in a manner where he is no longer recognizable
When it comes to propaganda and hatchet jobs on African history Ali is the latest
Every Sunday they do it to Jesus Christ so who would be surprised to see the enemy distort the image of a brother we affectionately call the greatest
None of us are perfect so when looking at Ali’s life we embrace the bitter and sweet
Therefore allowing corporate sharks in Hollywood and warmongers attempt to give Ali a facelift would be both an act of betrayal and accepting defeat
Their recollection of Ali is when he carried the Olympic torch and lighting the flame was aimed at presenting him as a born again patriot to a white supremacist and capitalist nation
Africans celebrate the Ali who threw his Olympic gold medal in the Ohio River as an act of defiance in our struggle against modern day segregation
Today’s athletes and entertainers are bribed and manipulated into becoming apologists for US Imperialism’s wars and invasions
Humanity is eternally grateful to Ali for remaining true to the teachings of the most Honorable Elijah Muhammad’s teaching leading to him standing alongside SNCC and SCLC which helped the Vietnamese maintain their sovereignty and liberation
Whenever Ali was seen in public with Malcolm X and lent his voice to the African plight he lifted our entire race
However standing next to Presidents Ford Carter Reagan Clinton Bush and Obama was without question completely out of place
We rejoiced when Ali visited Ghana in 1964 and spent time with Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah
But cried when him and George Foreman fought for blood money in the Congo which because of his stature legitimized Mobutu Sese Seko the evil dictator whose filthy hands will be forever stained with the blood of Patrice Lumumba
The manner that greedy and wealthy capitalists continue to exploit Ali’s legacy and name for profit is absolutely insane
However our fallen brother will always be remembered as a special soldier in our struggle for liberation and human dignity simple and plain.
