Athlete activism has gotten a ton of attention lately after San Francisco 49ers quarterback began kneeling in protest during the national anthem. The Los Angeles Lakers joined in on the movement themselves by locking arms during the anthem.
Muhammad Ali wasn’t the original athlete activist, but he was one of the pioneers as far as sports stars using their status to make a statement. Ali was outspoken about many social issues throughout his life before passing away this year, memorably losing out on years of his boxing career due to his refusal to fight in the Vietnam war.