Eduardo Galeano on Muhammad Ali (1967)

Eduardo Galeano on Muhammad Ali

1967: Houston

By Eduardo Galeano

They called him Cassius Clay. He chooses to call himself Muhammad Ali

They made him a Christian. He chooses to make himself a Muslim.

They made him defend himself. No one punches like Ali, so fierce and fast, light tank, bulldozing feather, indestructible possessor of the world crown.

They told him that a good boxer confines his fighting to the ring. He says the real ring is something else, where a triumphant black fights for defeated blacks, for those who eat leftovers in the kitchen.

They advised discretion. From then on he yells.

They tapped his phone. From then on he yells on the phone, too

They put a uniform on him to send him to Vietnam. He pulls it off and yells that he isn’t going, because he has nothing against the Vietnamese, who have don no harm to him or to any other black American

They took away his world title, they stopped him from boxing, they sentenced him to jail and a fine. he yells his thanks for these compliments to his human dignity.

Translation from MEMORY OF FIRE: CENTURY OF THE WIND, by Eduardo Galeano (1988)

EDUARDO GALEANO is a Uruguayan writer and journalist.
He is the author of THE OPEN VEINS OF LATIN AMERICA.

 

Eduardo Galeano sobre Muhammad Alí

Lo llamaron Cassius Clay: se llama Muhammad Alí, por nombre elegido.

Lo hicieron cristiano: se hace musulmán, por elegida fe.

Lo obligaron a defenderse: pega como nadie, feroz y veloz, tanque liviano, demoledora pluma, indestructible dueño de la corona mundial.

Le dijeron que un buen boxeador deja la bronca en el ring: él dice que el verdadero ring es el otro, donde un negro triunfante pelea por los negros vencidos, por los que comen sobras en la cocina.

Le aconsejaron discreción: desde entonces grita. Le intervinieron el teléfono: desde entonces grita también por teléfono.

Le pusieron uniforme para enviarlo a la guerra de Vietnam: se saca el uniforme y grita que no va, porque no tiene nada contra los vietnamitas, que nada malo le han hecho a él ni a ningún otro negro norteamericano.

Le quitaron el título mundial, le prohibieron boxear, lo condenaron a cárcel y multa: gritando agradece estos elogios a su dignidad humana.

(En Memoria del Fuego III: El Siglo del Viento)