Muhammad Ali

A Q&A with Ken Burns, Jesse Washington (moderator), Rasheda Ali Walsh, and Howard Bryant.

Timed to the 25th anniversary of Muhammad Ali lighting the Olympic cauldron in Atlanta, GA, join a virtual event that focuses on Ali’s transcendent position as a global athlete and public figure. This event features a live discussion with filmmaker Ken Burns, five-time Olympic medalist Janet Evans, Professor of Cinema and Media Studies, USC Todd Boyd, Ph.D., and Senior Writer for ESPN/The Undefeated Lonnae O’Neal.

Explore the interwoven nature of race and religion in Muhammad Ali’s own life, and its impact on sports, society and culture today. This event features a live discussion with filmmaker Ken Burns, Olympic medalist and change agent Ibtihaj Muhammad, and ESPN/The Undefeated Senior Writer Justin Tinsley.

Cassius Clay rises from amateur boxer to 1960 Olympic gold medal winner. He turns professional and moves to Miami, sharpening his boxing skills and honing his genius for self-promotion. Meanwhile, he quietly joins the Nation of Islam and becomes a confidant of Malcolm X. In 1964, he shocks the world by upsetting the heavily favored Sonny Liston to win the heavyweight championship.

Cassius Clay joins the Nation of Islam and adopts the name Muhammad Ali. For three years, Ali dominates the heavyweight ranks but in 1967, he refuses induction into the U.S. Army and becomes one of the most reviled men in America. Ali is stripped of his title, convicted of draft evasion and forced into exile. In 1970, he triumphantly returns to the ring, but it's clear that he has lost a step.

Muhammad Ali faces Joe Frazier in the "Fight of the Century." Though he loses, Ali becomes a hero. The Supreme Court overturns Ali's conviction, validating his refusal to serve in the war in Vietnam and in 1974, Ali outduels Frazier, his greatest rival, in their highly anticipated rematch. But to complete his comeback, he must face the fearsome George Foreman.