In 1962 Malcolm X, a minister in the Nation of Islam, saw the potential in Cassius Clay, not just for boxing greatness, but as a means of spreading the Nation's message. The two became fast friends, keeping their interactions secret from the press for fear of jeopardizing Clay's career-- but eventually their friendship soured, with disastrous and far-reaching consequences. Roberts and Smith reconstruct the worlds that shaped Malcolm and Clay, and reveal how Malcolm molded Cassius Clay into Muhammad Ali, helping him become an international symbol of black pride and black independence.
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