Muhammad Ali’s Recruitment Card: An Icon Up for Auction
Muhammad Ali’s refusal to sign his military draft card during the Vietnam era transformed the boxing champion’s life and added a powerful voice to the anti-war movement. Now, this piece of history is about to be auctioned. In the card, in the space for Ali’s signature in 1967, a void is observed. This act of defiance, which occurred in the midst of the Vietnam War, generated controversy and marked a before and after in the boxer’s career. Although it interrupted his successful boxing career, it immortalized him outside the ring as a defender of peace and social justice.The auction house announced that the online sale will take place from October 10 to 28, and that the card was obtained through Ali’s descendants. A public exhibition of the card began on Thursday at the Rockefeller Center in New York and will continue until October 21. It is estimated that the document could reach a value of between 3 and 5 million dollars.Remembering my father’s message of courage and conviction is more important than ever, and the sale of his recruitment card at Christie’s is a powerful way to share that legacy with the world.
Rasheda Ali Walsh, daughter of Ali
Muhammad Ali, three-time world heavyweight champion, died in 2016 at the age of 74, after a long battle against Parkinson’s disease. About 100,000 people chanted “Ali! Ali!” in the streets of his hometown, Louisville, Kentucky, while a hearse transported his coffin to a local cemetery. His memorial service was attended by celebrities, athletes, and politicians. The recruitment card, partly typewritten, evokes memories of a time when Ali was not universally loved, but rather represented a polarizing figure, revered by millions worldwide and vilified by many. By refusing to be drafted into the United States Army, Ali was found guilty of evading military service, stripped of his boxing title, and banned from boxing. Ali appealed the conviction, claiming he was a Muslim minister. He famously proclaimed: “I ain’t got no quarrel with them Viet Cong.” During his exile, Ali spoke at universities and briefly appeared in a Broadway musical. He was allowed to resume boxing three years later. He was still facing a possible prison sentence when in 1971 he faced Joe Frazier, his arch-rival, for the first time in what was called “The Fight of the Century.” A few months later, the United States Supreme Court overturned the conviction by an 8-0 vote. The recruitment card was issued on the day the Louisville draft board ordered Ali to report for induction, according to a Christie’s press release. The card was signed by the chairman of the local draft board, but notably not by Ali. The card identified him by his birth name, Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., but with a spelling error in his middle name. Following his conversion to Islam, he was given a name that reflected his faith, according to the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville. Meanwhile, at the top of the draft card it reads: “(Also known as) Muhammad Ali”. The Ali Center presents exhibits that pay tribute to Ali’s immense boxing skills. But its main mission, it says, is to preserve his humanitarian legacy and promote his six core principles: spirituality, generosity, conviction, confidence, respect, and dedication. Now, an artifact reflecting how Ali personified some of those principles will go up for auction.This is a singular object associated with an important historical event that has a great impact on our shared popular culture.
Peter Klarnet, senior specialist at Christie’s
This is the first time collectors will be able to acquire a vital and intimate document related to one of the most important figures of the last century.
Klarnet
