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The Greatest: Remembering Muhammad Ali on 6th anniversary of his death

The Greatest. That describes Muhammad Ali in his simplest and purest form. Ali died six years ago on June 3, 2016, at the age of 74. But his legacy lives on to this day. "Muhammad Ali made boxing a worldwide sport," said Hall of Fame boxing trainer Freddie Roach. "He drew the fans in and brought more visibility to the sport and to humanitarian causes."

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Ali, however, was not just an inspiration in the ring. As his career blossomed, he became one of the most high-profile celebrities in the world, championing civil rights and social justice causes. When blacks were refused seats in the fronts of buses and denied entry to restaurants, he renounced his birth name of Cassius Clay as his "slave name" and found guidance through the Nation of Islam. Ali's mission was to reject the pacifism of most civil rights activism of that time and empower the African American community against white racism. His public conversion to Islam in 1964 was a defining moment for his life. Elijah Muhammad, the Nation of Islam leader, renamed him Muhammad Ali, meaning one who is worthy of most high praise. Many of his critics continued to call him by his birth name, Cassius Clay, but that did not deter Ali from embracing his Muslim faith and beliefs.