Muhammad Ali once said that he was “a new kind of black man” (King of the World, xiii). Using information from  course readings and lectures, write an essay in which you assess the degree to which Muhammad Ali was or was not  different from the other African American athletes we have read about and discussed in this course. In other  words, was Ali a new type of black athlete? Why or why not?

To answer this question convincingly you must substantively compare and contrast Muhammad Ali with at least  three of the black athletes that we have discussed who preceded him. As a reminder, possible athletes to consider  for comparison include (but are not limited to): Jack Johnson, Joe Louis, Jackie Robinson, Paul Robeson, Wilma  Rudolph, Floyd Patterson, and Sonny Liston. 

An outstanding essay will (1) have a clear, forceful argument in your opening paragraph in which you explain  why Ali was or was not significantly different to the black athletes that preceded him; (2) will support and develop  that argument by using evidence and examples drawn from lectures, course readings (don’t forget the secondary source essays that we assigned on Jack Johnson, Joe Louis, and Wilma Rudolph—thy can be very helpful here), and  especially, King of the World; and (3) will present counter-evidence—that is, it will include a developed discussion of  why one might answer the question counter to the way you are, but then explain why your interpretation is more  compelling.