On May 8, 1967, Muhammad Ali was formally indicted for refusing induction into the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. Ali cited religious reasons and opposition to racial injustice for his stance, famously declaring, \”I ain\’t got no quarrel with them Viet Cong.\” The indictment led to the stripping of his heavyweight boxing title and a five-year prison sentence (later overturned by the Supreme Court). Ali\’s courage turned him into an icon of resistance against both war and racial injustice, reshaping the role of athletes in activism.

On June 8, 1967, boxing champion Muhammad Ali was formally indicted by a federal grand jury for refusing induction into the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. Ali’s refusal, based on his religious beliefs as a Muslim and opposition to the war, led to a five-year prison sentence, which he appealed. He was also stripped of his heavyweight title and boxing license. Ali\’s bold stand against the draft was seen by many as a courageous act of political resistance. It cost him years of his athletic prime, but elevated him as a symbol of Black defiance and moral conviction. In 1971, the Supreme Court overturned his conviction. This case highlighted issues of religious freedom, racial justice, and anti-war sentiment in the 1960s.