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LISTEN: Muhammad Ali's Legacy For Young Black Men

As fans and admirers from around the world remember Muhammad Ali for his boxing career and humanitarian work, one part of his legacy is getting less attention: His influence on young black men.

I spoke with Ricky Jones, who chairs the University of Louisville's Pan-African Studies department, about that piece of what Ali leaves behind.

Listen to our conversation in the player above.

On black manhood and Ali: 

"What it meant to be a man, to be able to stand up and say, 'I understand this system and I can function within it if I choose to, but I choose not to, and I'm going to force you to respect it.' That's what Ali symbolized, and it wasn't just for the '60s — it's now, too. Because god knows, even though the times are different, you still have a whole lot of cowards out here today who want to talk about Ali, want to supposedly idolize and respect Ali now. They wouldn't have stood with Ali in 1967, though.

"The less Ali could talk because of his affliction, the more comfortable they became with Ali."

On Ali's influence on young black men:

"You could do whatever you want. You don't have to be scared doing it. And right now, you have a responsibility — if you move forward in the world and do something great — you've got people that you need to be a model for, and that you need to help."

Stephen George is President and CEO of Louisville Public Media. Email Stephen at sgeorge@lpm.org.