Beyond the Black Power Salute by Kaliss Gregory J.;

Author:Kaliss, Gregory J.;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: University of Illinois Press
Published: 2023-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

Aftermath: Ongoing Debates about “the Brotherhood”

But if the bout was over, the larger fights surrounding the contest only gained in intensity afterward. Central to the discussions that emerged in the fight’s wake were the competing definitions of black manhood that had circulated before the bout. Stories about the fight in both Ebony and Jet were diplomatic, covering the event itself and praising both fighters for their efforts. In Ebony, Banks devoted his analysis to the fashions worn by black fans at the fight, contrasting the flamboyant attire of Ali fans with the more buttoned-down conservative looks of Frazier fans. The fight was such big news that Robert Johnson, the publisher of Jet and Ebony, felt inclined to pen his own story in its aftermath, which he did in the following issue of Jet. He minced no words regarding his loyalties, calling Ali “one of the few Black heroes still alive” and labeling Frazier “the unheralded, white-created champion.” But Johnson’s gripe was largely with the promotional financing of the fight, which netted considerable millions for its two white promoters.97 In Jet the news of the fight’s outcome earned front-page status, with a cover photo of Frazier in his boxing robe with the bold headline “Joe Frazier Proves He Is the Greatest.”98

Many Jet readers disagreed with that assessment and in doing so affirmed their own visions of black masculinity—favoring the Black Power defiance of Ali to the conservative, modest deportment of Frazier. Thomas Mitchell Jr. of Chicago wrote in to say that Ali had only lost because of the “government” and the “Pentagon,” a reference to Ali’s refusal to be drafted and his long layoff. But Mitchell was not discouraged, writing that Ali “is a Black MAN, which is ever so much more important than being a Black boxing champion. He represents the new spirit in Blacks.” Mitchell believed that Frazier would never be as “respected” as Ali because he was not a “winner” in the same way.99 Meanwhile, Pleasant Williams of Belle Glade, Florida, argued that Ali “is a leader, a true leader, a good one. Any man who turns down $10 million to avoid being an Uncle Tom, but striving for his people, is nothing but a man, and I mean a man.”100 One black listener who called in to New York radio station WMCA after the fight expressed similar sentiments. She observed, “It is just sad because this man Ali is so large. There hasn’t been a man this large in our image.”101 Even Black Panther Party supreme commander Huey P. Newton indicated that Ali was “still our champ” in an open letter to the boxer. Newton said, “Ali is still the champ ‘not because you are the master boxer (and you are, of course), but because you are the heavyweight champ who has refused to compromise Black manhood.”102 For these fans, then, Ali earned acclaim because of his defiance as a black man. In his refusal to be drafted, his outspoken confidence, and his unwillingness to back down

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