Influential People
By: Braelyn Faust
Muhammad Ali
Drawn Out Of
Muhammad refused to take action in military service and aligned himself with the Nation of Islam, which made him a target in controversy. He appeared at rallies with the Nation of Islam leader, Elijah Muhammad and he declared his allegiance to him at a time when mainstream America viewed them with suspicion.
Near the end of 1967, Ali's title from the professional boxing commission was stripped from him. He would not be allowed to fight for 3 years. He was convicted for refusing indiction into the army and was sentenced 5 years in prison.
How He Inspired The World
Ali fought for himself and earned his boxing license back. He could only fight in Georgia because it was the only state that didn't have a boxing commission. Later on, the New York Supreme Court ruled that Ali was unjustly denied a boxing license, he was now able to fight in New York. Ali fought against many people, dealt with some of his first professional losses. Later on, Ali had a huge fight with George Foreman in the Congo (Ali wanted to boost that part of Africa.) Ali surprisingly won the fight, this gave Ali another chance to win the world title against Frazier(Frazier was Ali's first professional loss, and also beat him for the world title.) Ali finally fought Frazier, he lasted 14 rounds and won the world title from Frazier.
Quote
"If they can make penicillin out of moldy bread, they can sure make something out of you."
Princess Diana
Drawn Out Of
She was born into an aristocratic family who had links to the Royal Family. When she was younger, her parents divorced with her father winning the bitter custody battle. She didn't really shine as a student but did very well in ballet and music. In 1981, she married Prince Charles. The whole world opened up to her, and their wedding was being watched by over 1 billion people. In the mid-1980's their marriage was beginning to crack, and under much publicity, they suddenly divorced. Diana was said to have suffered many health problems like bulimia and depression.
How She Inspired the World
Like a princess, she was expected to take part in many events. She did a lot of charitable work. In 1987, the princess was one of the first celebrities to take a picture with a victim of AIDS. This was very important in influencing the attitude about the disease. She also was involved in the banning of land mines. With all of her charity work, this showed the world that being royal means that you can give to the world.
Quote
"Everyone needs to be valued. Everyone has the potential to give something back if they only had the chance."
Jesse Owens
Drawn Out Of
His childhood was full of poverty and he had to take many unskilled jobs, such as working in repair shops or delivering goods. He than developed his passion for running and he had a lot of potential. His high school coach, Charles Riley, made him allowances for his difficulty in making evening training sessions just because he worked in a shoe repair shop. He then went on to college, since America was highly segregated, when traveling with his team he had to eat in different restaurants and sleeps in different hotels.
How He Influenced the World
He has broken many world records in the 100-yard dash, long jump, etc. His finest moment was at the Berlin Olympics in 1936. He won gold in the 100m, long jump, 200m, 400 meter relay. It was a powerful defiance to the Aryan display at the Olympics. Albert Speer later wrote that Hitler was annoyed that Jesse won so many gold medals. Although most of Germany was annoyed with him, his stay in Germany was great. He didn't experience the segregation and many Germans asked for his autograph.
Quote
"We all have dreams. But in order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort."