To make America the greatest is my goal, So I beat the Russians, and I beat the Pole, and for the USA won the medal of gold. Italians said: 'You're Greater than the Cassius of old??. We like your name, we like your game, So make Rome your home if you will. I said I appreciate your kind hospitality, But the USA is my country still, 'Cause they're waiting to welcome me in Louisville.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Ali declares his loyalty to America despite international acclaim, emphasizing home and national identity.
- In plain terms
- I love my country and want to represent it.
- What can you take from it?
- Stay true to your home even when others praise you elsewhere.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What defines your sense of home?
- When is it hard to say no to fame?
Another view
It can feel exclusionary to non-nationals.
More from Muhammad Ali
In a competition of love we'll all share in the victory, no matter who comes first.
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Permalink to quote #31 If we continue to think and live as if we belong only to different cultures and different religions, with separate missions and goals, we will always be in sel…
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