Quote Originally Posted by match View Post
Two things about this Lyle, first and foremost, Ali grew up in Louisville Kentucky, which as I'm sure you know falls below the Mason Dixie line. There was only one state in the deep south that was clearly worse than all others, and that was the state that lead the country in lynchings, Mississippi. To say Ali had it easier than Frazier would be as dumb as saying Frazier had it easier than Ali. They were two Black men growing up in the south. And most importantly, Ali's uncle tom attacks on Frazier were fueled by the fact that he was not an advocate on Civil Rights, similarly to how O.J. Simpson came under fire for not being an outspoken advocate on civil rights. This was WHY Ali berrated him. Joe Frazier represented the establishment, in that he was allowed a shot at a title that was stripped from Ali by the establishment. Ali's mistake was that he thought Frazier was an uncle tom because he refused to speak out, but in reality he was just a simple man who did not have the social conciousness that Ali did. This is WHY Ali attacked him.
#1 It's the Mason-Dixon line...."Dixie" is the nickname of the Southern States. I am aware of Kentucky being south of sed line and that point is moot when it comes to what Ali said about Frazier. And Lance is 100% correct about their comparative upbringings. Louisville as compared to Beaufort....come on, there is no decision to make, I would be in Louisville 10-10 times when given the choice between there and Beaufort.

#2 Just because Joe Frazier didn't speak out it doesn't mean he didn't support what Ali stood for. Michael Jordan and more recently Tiger Woods were very closely guarded in their political views. Those guys never got called 'Uncle Tom's' or 'House Negroes' or anything like that...they were always treated with respect. And that silence doesn't warrant or justify attacks by that nature. Had Joe Frazier suddenly decided to speak out like Ali (which would have been well outside his nature) would Ali have stopped his attacks

I think it was hateful and hypocritical, what Ali and the people that supported him did to Joe Frazier.