Why was Muhammad Ali given a Roman name (Cassius Marcellus) at birth? Were his parents huge classicists or something? Evidently the given name of Ali's father was also Cassius Marcellus Clay, but I can't find much more about it than that.
They probably just liked the name m8 what more thought do you really expect regular people to put into it?
>>1276812
In the south some slave owners would ironically name their enslaved victims roman names like Cesar or Nero or what ever. Kind of ducked up but like black Americans being stripped on their language and traditional names they adapted and sometimes continued the practice.
>>1276816
Idk dude, it just seems really unusual. In America, interest in the classical world has historically been the realm of white aristocracy & the upper class, but Ali was the son of a black sign painter from Louisville.
>>1276822
Oh wow, I had never heard about that. Makes a lot of sense though. Thanks.
>>1276812
Maybe they did not want him to become a ghetto ass bitch nigger?
>>1276812
HE WUZ KANGZ
>>1276933
NOS REGES ET STERCORE NIGGER
>>1276835
Yeah, basically it was similar to naming your dogs classical names, it was to show off your education. There was an added element of irony though with slaves, literal human property destined to a life of servitude given the name of a great leader or mythic hero.
>>1276822
>ironically
Did they ironically name their kids Cletus too?
>>1276812
Cassius Marcellus Clay was an Anglo American abolitionist.
Ali's birth name doesn't matter. What does matter is he forsook it for a muslim name, and joined the cancerous community of black muslims.
Shows just how much he valued America(not much at all).
>>1278055
Sure, he lined in with that fuck Farrakhan and did the usual totally not-racist-but-actually-is-racist black nationalism. He calmed down latter in life, though. Islam to him just meant peace. That's all he wished it meant for everyone.
>>1278055
I'm willing to bet you were born after 1998
>>1278181
respectability politics is one hell of a drug lol.
>>1278055
>race relations have always been as good as it is today
>there wasn't real racism back in the day
>>1278409
>Are good today.
Nah.
>>1278357
I'm willing to bet one or more of your girlfriends cheated on you
>>1278604
I'm willing to bet you've never had one.
Here you go OP
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassius_Marcellus_Clay_(politician)
>>1278181
>Frederick
>Abraham
>Benjamin
>Caesar
>Theodore
