I like this because you was bringing up black men that accomplish good things in life. The line, "Jackie Robinson is regarded as one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century" this is powerful to prove that black men can be great also.

By saying White America had no choice at the time but to choose Robinson diminishes robinsons accomplishments. You can't say Robinson was choosen and given an opportunity, because he worked just as hard as Muhammed Ali did. Robinson could have walked away from baseball after the first day you started training with the Dodgers, but he didn't. He set a goal for himself and accomplished it. Theres no way you can say Jackie Robinson had it all handed to him.

Do not diminish the accomplishments of Muhammed Ali. He stands on his own and though Robinson came before him there was a Jack Johnson and Joe Louis. Ali made his own way, just because someone came before you does'nt mean they opened doors for you. Any well disciplined man Black or White can achieve a goal once he or she sets a task and goal. Robinson was chosen and given the opportunity to play the sport. Muhammed Ali took it! White America had no choice at the time, since he was a very talented and established fighter as well as a charismatic indivisual. Robinson in comparison, was chosen because they felt he  had a certain discipline to cope with white America and tolerate what would happen to him once he took the field. I personally believe there were other  black indivisuals who had the talent and discipline to withstand racist America at the time. Because of what white America psychologically deems as acceptable Robinson's background fit right in. Robinson's opinion on Muhammed Ali was America gave Cassius Clay so much and he's unappreciative when Ali refused to be drafted.. In the old days he would've been called an Uncle Tom or a White Folks N**** for making the comment. I'm sure he was but you'll never hear about it. I don't appreciate him for that lack of respect and vision because it showed me that for an educated and intelligent man Robinson forgot what he was and only basked in who he was. A black man in a sport that he was souped up to believe he himself had only contributed to change. Black talents cannot be denied so he broke no barriers, He was the first  because he simply was a vehicle used by corporate America at the time to take advantage of black talent that they already knew was out there, and would slip through the cracks of racist America with careful manipulation and gain talent far better than Jackie Robinson. It's a money game, make no mistake about it. Though Ali didn't coin many of the phrases used during his fight with the US Government he didn't have to because he believed in what he was saying, and he put himself on the firing line without support from white America. He was great but America seeked to seal his fate, because of who he was, what he believed in, what he was and what he stood for. The Heavyweight Champion of the World, a symbol of powerful masculinity which was honed by dedication, and will power,  not to mention making all look good with bronze skin. it wasn't born of white America, his defiance was born from within his soul, a black man's soul to defy America's racist structure. Ali wasn't an invention he was a self crafted and God Made Soldier who stood on no man's shoulder, that's what he was about so he owes nothing to Jackie Robinson, Jack Johnson, Joe Louis or anyone for that matter.