Muhammad Ali arrived on the island to a warm greeting from  Jamaican citizens. He was presented with the symbolic key to the city of Kingston by the mayor, Councillor Ralph Brown, and received glowing tributes from Prime Minister Michael Manley.

Published Monday, December 30, 1974

MASS RALLY HELD AT STADIUM

ALI GETS KEY TO THE CITY

By Gleaner Staff Reporter

MUHAMMAD ALI, world heavyweight boxing champion, was yesterday presented with the symbolic key to the City of Kingston by the mayor, Councillor Ralph Brown, at a mass rally attended by over 20,000 people at the National Stadium.

Acknowledging the honour conferred on him, the "People's Champion", as Ali is commonly called, said: "With you all behind me there is not a man in the world that can whip me."

Ali also disclosed in an address to the cheering mass of people that he was going to buy a home in Jamaica, and that Prime Minister Michael Manley was assisting him in finding a suitable site.

The prime minister described the king of boxers as "a symbol of courage - a man who has climbed the mountain top and stretched out a helping hand to help the suffering people of this earth".

WELCOME

Ali arrived in Jamaica on Saturday for a four-day visit at the invitation of the Government of Jamaica and the rally was one of several events being staged in his honour.

Presenting the key to the heavyweight champion, Mayor Brown said: “It gives me the greatest pleasure to welcome our beloved Muhammad Ali to our fair city of 700,000 persons who I am sure will open their hearts to him as a symbol of freedom to all Black brothers in Jamaica and throughout the world.”

Councillor Brown said that from early as 1971, the city had regarded Ali as a “choice person,” so the KSAC councillors voted unanimously to confer upon him the key to the city of Kingston.

The citation read by  Town Clerk, Basil Daniels, stated:" Whereas Muhammad Ali, world heavyweight champion, that illustrious prizefighter, will visit the city of Kingston from Saturday 28 to Monday, December 30, 1974; and whereas the municipality is pleased to welcome him having taken note of his remarkable achievements as a great boxer and sportsman.

“And whereas as a young man, has set an admirable example to the youth of today as regards to the strength of character in moral and social issues and the ability to face up to adversity with unswerving courage;

“And whereas it is fitting that this city should pay tribute to this outstanding personality. Be it resolved that he be granted the freedom of the city by the presentation to him of the symbolic key of the city by His Worship the Mayor on behalf of the KSAC and the citizens of the Corporate Area.”

THANKS TO CITIZENS

The "People's Champion", as he is popularly known, in thanking the citizens of the Corporate Area for this great gesture,” said: “With you all behind me there is not a man in the world that can whip me.”

After the presentation, the over 20,000 people at the stadium erupted in thunderous applause led by  Prime Minister Michael Manley and Mrs Manley.

“We see you as a symbol of courage, a man who has climbed the mountain top and stretched out a helping hand to. Over 20,000 Jamaicans stood enraptured yesterday at the National Stadium when Minister/ Louis Farrakhan, national representative of Elijah Muhammad, head of the Moslem faith in the United States, brought from Muhammad the message of love, unity and black consciousness to this great city, Kingston and this great island in the sun, Jamaica.”

And to tumultuous applause that echoed throughout the stadium, Minister Farrakhan said: "We are the first men on this planet earth." It was a biological and geometrical impossibility for a white man to produce a black man or for a yellow man to produce a black man, he said, as the applause intensified.

“Rejoice in your blackness,” he said, warning that they should not hold their head up in the sky looking for some heaven when they die because heaven was beneath their feet in the great earth of Jamaica.

“Everything you wear and eat comes from the soil. So nothing is wrong with the black man going back to the soil to make a heaven for himself.

“This is why we love, honour and respect your prime minister, the Hon. Michael Manley. He is a man for the poor. He wants better education, houses, jobs. What is wrong with that? Why shouldn't you back up a government that is trying to help.”

Minister Farrakhan appealed to those in the Opposition not to oppose for opposition sake, they should oppose when their conscience dictates.

Unity

He said that there must be unity between all the parties. Because only a united Jamaica could command the leadership of the Caribbean. Jamaica is a great nation, he said, but a house divided cannot stand.

The Elijah messenger appealed to Jamaican men to love their women and not to give them to the tourists that visited the island. No nation, he said, could win a place in the sun if that nation disregarded its women.

He said that 50 years ago, Jamaica sent to the United States the great Marcus Garvey who awakened “our consciousness to see that the black man the world over had one destiny and one God. Today, the white world is coming apart. There is no greater time for unity, love, consciousness than today,” he said. The minister, in concluding, said that they should give life to the dead, hope to the oppressed and dignity to the downtrodden. "Use up the mountains, the hillsides and the valleys, teach the unlearned, help the poor and rise to the call of building Jamaica."

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