People sold everything - their cars, their land for miles, to come in and see me beat. I went to the bank laughing every time.

You can do what you want. But it's nature to be with your own. I want to be with my own.

I think I could beat Joe Frazier singing. I was in a Broadway musical called Big Time Buck Wright.

I figured that if I said it enough, I would convince the world that I really was the greatest.

The real enemy of my people is here. I will not disgrace my religion, my people or myself by becoming a tool to enslave those who are fighting for their own justice, freedom and equality.… If I thought the war was going to bring freedom and equality to 22 million of my people they wouldn’t have to draft me, I’d join tomorrow. I have nothing to lose by standing up for my beliefs. So I’ll go to jail, so what? We’ve been in jail for 400 years.

I sought the advice and cooperation from all those around me- but not permission.

I've been on planes flying through thunder storms when the pilot says, 'ladies and gentlemen, we tried to fly around it but we can't so it's going to be rough'.And when a pilot says it's going to be bad, it's going to be rough. And you say to youself, boy, I could have got the train.