Defense of Muhammad Ali
Later in his career, in 1966 and 1967, Covington assisted prize-fighter Muhammad Ali in obtaining a draft exemption as a Muslim minister. What may have brought him to the attention of Muhammad Ali was his extensive experience with the U.S. Selective Service System and draft boards across the nation, where he had realized many successes while representing Jehovah's Witnesses. Covington sued Ali to recover $247,000 in legal fees.
Read more about this topic: Hayden C. Covington
Famous quotes containing the words defense of, defense and/or ali:
“If violence is wrong in America, violence is wrong abroad. If it is wrong to be violent defending black women and black children and black babies and black men, then it is wrong for America to draft us, and make us violent abroad in defense of her. And if it is right for America to draft us, and teach us how to be violent in defense of her, then it is right for you and me to do whatever is necessary to defend our own people right here in this country.”
—Malcolm X (1925–1965)
“He said, truly, that the reason why such greatly superior numbers quailed before him was, as one of his prisoners confessed, because they lacked a cause,—a kind of armor which he and his party never lacked. When the time came, few men were found willing to lay down their lives in defense of what they knew to be wrong; they did not like that this should be their last act in this world.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“That was always the difference between Muhammad Ali and the rest of us. He came, he saw, and if he didn’t entirely conquer—he came as close as anybody we are likely to see in the lifetime of this doomed generation.”
—Hunter S. Thompson (b. 1939)