When I heard the truth about my name was not Cassius Clay, like I knew a black man in America named John Hawkins. Now, you know who John Hawkins was.He was a slave trader from England. But the white people of that time, if one had five slaves and his name was Jones, they would be called Jones' property. [...] Now that I'm free, now that I'm no longer a slave, then I want a name of my ancestors.

When a man says I cannot, he has made a suggestion to himself. He has weakened his power of accomplishing that which otherwise would have been accomplished.

If America were in a just war I'd volunteer for the front line. I'd do the shuffling and win the war.

I was the first one in the gym, and the last one to leave.

Be obedient to your superior, and your inferior will obey you.

You're not going to enjoy every minute of the journey, but the success you'll find at the end will make it all worth it.

Since I won't let the critics seal my fate, they keep hollering I'm full of hate. But they don't really hurt me none, 'cause I'm doing good and having fun.