Consign Your Best Items with Lelands. We Also Pay Cash on the Spot! Learn More Here.
Very Important 1964 Cassius Clay Signed Handwritten Letter Regarding Islam
Prior to February 25, 1964, the day he would fight and defeat Sonny Liston in Miami for the heavyweight championship, everything Cassius Clay was doing seemed to fit into the values of white culture. He wasn’t white, but he was tall, young, handsome, brash and charming. He was a former Olympic Gold medalist. But, underneath that facade burned an intense flame of racial pride and dignity. Cassius Clay had become interested in the heritage of his race and the prospects that lie ahead for it. As his success grew in the ring he was exposed and drawn to black leaders including religious leaders like Malcolm X and Elijah Muhammad of the Nation of Islam. Cassius Clay acknowledged in his own words to noted author Thomas Hauser "For three years, up until I fought Sonny Liston, I’d sneak into Nation of Islam meetings through the back door. I didn’t want people to know I was there. I was afraid, if they knew, I wouldn’t be allowed to fight for the title. Later on, I learned to stand up for my beliefs. And since then, my beliefs have changed. Despite his fears that the biggest fight in his life may be cancelled Cassius Clay made the decision to convert from his Christian faith to Islam, a religion he saw as one of peace. The story began to surface before the fight and several significant periodicals made a decision to run this story. The sports editor of one, a man of some caution, told his associate to get something in writing from Clay on this conversion fearing the magazine might get burned if they ran the story and Clay denied it afterwards. The letter offered here, perhaps the most significant letter ever penned by Cassius Clay, is that written declaration of his conversion. Written one week before his fight with Sonny Liston it reads, "Miami Florida Feb 18-64 I believe in the Religion of Islam which means: I believe there is no God but Allah, and that Muhammad is His Apostle, This is the same religion that is believed in by over 750 Million of our people through out Africa and Asia. And 750 Million is about 4 times as many people as there are in America. Sincerely Cassius Clay Witnessed by: Howard L. Bingham Marc Crawford. There are several notations at the bottom which have been crossed out and a circle around the name McDermott. The letter is 6" x 9" and written on lined notepad paper. Several of the binding holes at the top are torn not affecting the text. All written by Cassius Clay in ballpoint pen. Offered with a letter of authenticity from David Wolf, an associate editor who retrieved this document from the garbage when his superior, a man who never thought Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali would amount to anything significant, tossed it away while purging his files. Also offered with a letter of authenticity from Craig Hamilton of JO Sports, Inc., a friend of David Wolf’s and the man who purchased the letter from him several years ago. Lastly, a letter of authenticity from James Spence of JSA attesting to the validity of the hand writing and signature as that of Cassius Clay. By far the most significant hand written letter of this great American and sports icon we have handled and one of the most historically significant letters written by any member of the sporting society to come to public sale.
Past Sports Card, Memorabilia, Non-Sports Card and Collecitble Auction Items
Other past auction items that may be of interest to you.
1966 Muhammad Ali-Cleveland Williams Fight Poster
Dempsey and Firpo Lithograph by George Bellows (1923-24)
John C. Heenan Presentation "Heenan v Sayers" Scrimshaw Shell (1860)
1926 Tunney vs. Dempsey Fight Program.
1887 John L. Sullivan Lorillard Card
Joe Louis WWII Mini Poster (7x10”)
Muhammad Ali Memorabilia & Autograph Collection (15)
