Muhammad Ali: The Making of an Icon

Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Clay) has always engendered an emotional reaction from the public. From his appearance as an Olympic champion to his iconic status as a national hero, his carefully constructed image and controversial persona has always been intensely scrutinized. In "Muhammad Ali," Michael Ezra considers the boxer who calls himself OC The GreatestOCO from a new perspective. He writes about AliOCOs pre-championship bouts, the management of his career and his current legacy, exploring the promotional aspects of Ali and how they were wrapped up in political, economic, and cultural OC ownership.OCO

EzraOCOs incisive study examines the relationships between AliOCOs cultural appeal and its commercial manifestations. Citing examples of the boxerOCOs relationship to the Vietnam War and the Nation of IslamOCowhich serve as barometers of his OC public moral authorityOCOOCo"Muhammad Ali" analyzes the difficulties of creating and maintaining these cultural images, as well as the impact these themes have on AliOCOs meaning to the public.

Michael Ezra is Chair of the American Multicultural Studies Department at Sonoma State University.