1967: Muhammed Ali refuses to do military service
He used his fame to campaign actively for equal rights for blacks: boxing legend Muhammed Ali refused to do military service in 1967. He said at the time he would not help “murder and burn down” another nation to ensure “supremacy of white slave masters.” Ali was then sentenced to prison but remained at large. But he lost his boxing license for three years. (Image: Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
