The Rise of Muhammad Ali | Tunde Folawiyo

Within the world of sports, there are certain athletes whose talents have far surpassed their time in the spotlight. As one of the most famed boxers in history, Muhammad Ali continues to inspire sports fans with his passion, perseverance and outstanding athletic abilities, evident in the three heavyweight championship titles he’s won. Admirers throughout the world, including Tunde Folawiyo, are undoubtedly inspired by the long-standing dominance and boxing success Muhammad Ali.

Born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. on January 17, 1942 in Louisville, Muhammad Ali first showed interest in boxing at the age of 12, when he began training at the gym of Joe Martin, a police officer and boxing coach. Demonstrating his commitment toward greatness, Ali trained six days per week, waking up early on school mornings and hitting the gym in the evenings. He developed a strict eating regimen and refrained from junk food, alcohol and cigarettes in order to ensure optimal health while on his quest at boxing dominance.

The 1960 Olympic Games, held in Rome, were among Muhammad Ali’s first times in an international spotlight. At 18 years old, Ali – still known as Cassius Clay - had already won national tournaments like the Golden Gloves and on September 5, 1960, Muhammad Ali triumphed over Poland’s Zbigniew Pietrzyskowski in the light-heavyweight championship. Ali won the Olympic gold medal in a unanimous decision, propelling him to the worldwide fame that followed him for the remainder of his career. With a gold medal, Ali proved his dominance of amateur boxing and in turn, was thrust into the world of professional boxing.

As Muhammad Ali embarked on his professional boxing career, he began a few attention-grabbing antics in order to make a splash. With quips to intimidate opponents, Muhammad Ali often wrote poetry, with "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" among his most famous lines. With his grandiose attitude ever evident, many people paid to see Ali fight, simply in hopes of watching him lose. On February 25 of 1964, Muhammad Ali battled Charles “Sonny” Liston for the heavyweight boxing championship, defeating him after a hurt shoulder and facial cut rendered Liston unable to fight further. With this, a 22-year-old Ali became the youngest fighter to ever defeat a champion. This victory paved the way for an extraordinary career in which Muhammad Ali left a lasting impact on the sport of boxing. Whilst Ali conquered the world of boxing, he was later diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and continues to face the challenges of the disease today. As one of the most celebrated athletes of all time, Muhammad Ali’s story continues to move fans such as Tunde Folawiyo and millions of others with a love for the world of sports.

The Legacy of Nelson Mandela | Tunde Folawiyo

The passing of Nelson Mandela deeply affected not only his home country of South Africa, but the continent of Africa and the world as a whole. The civil rights leader, through his thoughts, actions and principals, paved the way for an international discussion about the injustices of apartheid. His legacy continues to inspire African citizens such as Tunde Folawiyo and countless others who have may be familiar with the story of Nelson Mandela and the amazing strides he made in conquering social injustices.

Born on July 18, 1918 in Mvezo, South Africa, Nelson Mandela, a.k.a Rolihlahla, was born. The nickname “Nelson” came from a teacher during his years of schooling. Mandela attended college at the College of Fort Hare and later, the University of Witwatersrand from which he received a law degree. It was here that Mandela became acquainted with like-minded individuals who sought an end to apartheid.

As a leader in the African National Congress, Mandela pushed for the congress and protesters to follow in the footsteps of Mohandas Gandhi, utilising his non-violence approach to conflict. After some time, Mandela began to doubt the effectiveness of this ideal and as such, initiated an armed branch of the ANC. Later classified as a terrorist by the South African government, Mandela was sentenced to serve 27 years in prison. His incarceration brought international attention toward the anti-apartheid movement and rather than abandon his ideals in exchange for release, Mandela served his time at Robben Island, and later in Pollsmoor Prison and Victor Verster Prison. He was released in 1990 and upon this, continued his campaign to end apartheid.

Mandela’s efforts to end apartheid garnered world-wide respect. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. Due in part to his labours, citizens of all races were allowed to vote in the 1994 election, demonstrating the social change that was about to be set forth. With this election, Nelson Mandela became president of South Africa. Whilst this ruling came an intense backlash and whilst the opportunity for violent conflict was present, Nelson called for calm and peace, ultimately preventing a major civil war.

After many health struggles, Nelson Mandela passed on December 5 of 2013 at the age of 95. The world mourned as this civil rights leader was put to rest, leaving behind his wife Graça Machel, six children, twenty grandchildren and millions upon millions of admirers, including Tunde Folawiyo. His legacy will forever provide a source of encouragement for those facing social injustice. Without his undying dedication and enduring principals, the country of South Africa and other African countries may not have.

The career of the civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. | Tunde Folawiyo

Martin Luther King Jr. was known for his extraordinary work within the civil rights movement. A clergyman by profession, he had a profound impact on the lives of many people, and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent efforts to end racial inequality.

Born in 1929, King was a talented and intelligent young man, who graduated from high school at the age of 15. He went on to receive his Bachelor's degree from Morehouse College in Atlanta, after which he chose to attend the Crozer Theological Seminary. After being awarded a BD and a Fellowship, he then completed further postgraduate studies at Boston University, and completed his doctorate at the age of 26. Whilst there, he married Coretta Scott, with whom he had four children.

Working as a Baptist minister, King was an outspoken man who was passionate about civil rights. Those who are familiar with his life, like Tunde Folawiyo, might know that in 1955, he organised the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and two years later, established the SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference). As the president of the SCLC, he attempted to end segregation in Albany Georgia. However, it was the peaceful protests which he arranged in Birmingham, Alabama - and the authorities violent response to these events - which brought King into the spotlight.

At that point in time, many residents of the city were opposed to the concept of desegregation, and there were frequent attacks on African Americans who lived there. King refused to allow this injustice to continue, and carried on arranging non-violent protests there, even after an injunction against the demonstrations was issued. This led to him being temporarily imprisoned; during his time in solitary confinement, he composed the (now famous) Letter from Birmingham Jail, in which he explained that people have a moral responsibility to defy laws that are inherently unjust.

In 1963, King became involved in the organisation of the March on Washington; it was at this demonstration that he delivered his most well-known 'I have a Dream' speech - one which almost everyone around the world, including Tunde Folawiyo, is probably aware of. The following year, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize; he was the youngest man to have ever received it, and when told of his selection, he confirmed that he would be donating all of the money to the civil rights movement. Four years later, on the 4th of April, King was assassinated in Memphis, shortly before he was due to lead another protest.

The many achievements of Kofi Annan | Tunde Folawiyo

Kofi Annan is one of Ghana's most famous figures; in addition to serving as the United Nations' 7th Secretary General for many years, he has also founded the Kofi Annan Foundation, and been awarded the joint Nobel Prize for Peace. Although he retired from his position at the UN in 2006, he has continued to dedicate his time to protecting human rights and promoting peace around the world. Those who are familiar with his career, like Tunde Folawiyo, might know that Annan is an active member, and the chairman of the group known as The Elders, which was established by Nelson Mandela.

In his role as Secretary General, Annan developed a comprehensive reform programme, which was designed to improve the UN's approach to its work, and increase the effectiveness of the international system. In addition to this, he continually advocated for the Millennium Development Goals in Africa, the rule of law, and human rights.

Annan was born in the Ghanaian city of Kumasi in 1938, and began his career at the age of 24, working for the UN agency known as the World Health Organisation, as a budget officer. Following this, he spent two years working as Ghana's Director of Tourism, after which he joined the UN. Several years later, he was appointed as the Secretary General of the United Nations.

Tunde Folawiyo, and others who keep up to date with international affairs, may recall that Annan's initiatives whilst serving in this role greatly improved UN peacekeeping, which made it easier for the organisation to handle the dramatic spike in its personnel and operation numbers during the late nineties. Annan is also credited with encouraging Member States to establish the Human Rights Council and the Peace-Building Commission, and with helping to establish the Global Fund, which has since been used to tackle serious diseases such as Malaria, TB and AIDS. Additionally, he has been praised for encouraging Member States to accept their responsibility to protect people from war crimes and genocide.

The aforementioned Kofi Annan Foundation was set up by its namesake in 2007. Its primary goal is to improve the capacities of nations, and promote a higher standard of international governance, in order to achieve a safer and fairer world for all. The Foundation uses Annan's mediation and preventative diplomacy techniques to achieve its aims.

A look at the life of Nelson Mandela | Tunde Folawiyo

Nelson Mandela was an activist from South Africa, who served as the country's president for several years. He was instrumental in bringing an end to apartheid, and throughout his life, remained an advocate for human rights. He became a member of the ANC (African National Congress) in his twenties, and led many protests (both peaceful and armed) against the oppressive regime which has been implemented by the white minority.

Born in 1918 to the Chief of the Madiba clan, Mandela could have claimed his chieftainship during his late teens, but instead chose to study for his law degree at the University of the Witwatersrand. He then joined the above-mentioned ANC, and went on to become its Youth League leader. Being familiar with Mandela's life, Tunde Folawiyo is no doubt aware that during his time within this organisation, Mandela played an important role in the public opposition of the National Party's apartheid policies.

He worked as a lawyer for many years of his life; during this time, he was frequently arrested for encouraging people to stand up to the ruling party. His political and philosophical beliefs were largely informed by Marxism; this led to him joining the SACP (South African Communist Party) and becoming a member of its Central Committee. Whilst he originally favoured peaceful protests, his views changed somewhat after he became involved with the SACP, and in 1961, he co-founded a group called Umkhonto we Sizwe, through which he created a campaign designed to overthrow the apartheid government. He was arrested the following year, and after a lengthy trial, was sentenced to life imprisonment. He spent 27 years behind bars.

He was released in 1990; soon afterwards, he worked with the ANC to set up negotiations with the National Party, so that they could put an end to apartheid, and created a multi-racial government. Mandela's efforts resulted in him being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize just three years after his release from prison. Due to his tireless work, the country's first ever multi-racial parliamentary elections were held in 1994; 22 million people voted, and the ANC won the majority. Mandela was then named as the president of South Africa.

During his term, he established an organisation called Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which investigated accusations of human rights violations that had taken place under apartheid. He also launched many economic, education and housing initiatives aimed to improve the quality of life for South Africa's black population. Tunde Folawiyo might recall that in 2009, the UN named Mandela's birthday, July 18th, as 'Nelson Mandela International Day', as a means of honouring the work which he had done over the course of his lifetime. Mandela passed away in December of 2013, after a prolonged period of ill health.

Muhammad Ali - the world's most talented boxer | Tunde Folawiyo

Muhammad Ali is a former boxer whom virtually all sports fans, including Tunde Folawiyo, are probably familiar with. Born in Kentucky in 1942, he was originally named Cassius Marcellus Clay. He became interested in boxing at the age of 12; by the time he turned 18, he had participated in 108 amateur bouts, and won two National AAU titles, two National Golden Gloves championships and six Kentucky Golden Glove championships.

He then entered the 1960 Olympics in Rome and fought the polish boxer Zbigniew Pietrzyjowski in the light-heavyweight division. He emerged victorious, and won the gold medal. As he had achieved all that there was to achieve in amateur boxing, he decided to turn pro.

He performed exceptionally well, winning one match after another; however, it was his fight against Sonny Liston in 1964 which led to his rise to fame. Prior to this match, Liston was the world heavyweight champion, and most people were sceptical regarding Clay's chances of beating him. However, his extraordinarily fast footwork and speedy fists allowed him to inflict a number of cuts and bruises on Liston's face, and deliver a powerful punch to the shoulder, which led to Liston retiring after the sixth round. Following this match, Clay converted to Islam and announced that his new name was Muhammad Ali.

Three years later, he received a draft notice, which required him to fight in the Vietnam War. Ali refused, on the grounds that his religion expressly forbade the killing of others. After a long court battle, he was fined, sentenced, stripped of his heavyweight title and banned from boxing for the next three years. As a fan of sports, Tunde Folawiyo might recall that Ali's comeback match took place in 1971 in Madison Square Garden, against Jerry Quarry. After his prolonged break from training, Ali was not at his best, and he ended up losing the match.

Over the course of the next 14 years, he fought many more times, but it was his 1974 fight against George Foreman, and his battle against Joe Fraizer the following year, which cemented Ali's reputation as the greatest boxer of his time. The former was entitled 'Rumble in the Jungle', and took place in Zaire. Ali unleashed a new technique known as 'rope-a-dope', which enabled him to absorb the punches delivered by his opponent, and perform quick, jabbing counterattacks that eventually knocked Foreman out during the eighth round.

His match against Fraizer - entitled 'Thrilla in Manila' was held in 1975. It was a vicious fight, during which both parties were badly injured. However, after 15 rounds, Fraizer's eyes had swollen shut and his manager refused to let him back in the ring, leading to Ali being crowned the victor. Nine years after this famous match, Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's, and retired from boxing.