This article was originally posted on October 28, 2021.
“Mama, I picked Muhammad Ali! Because he’s Muslim like us!”
It was the fall of 2019, and my son Sulayman came home bursting with excitement that he had picked Muhammad Ali for his 3rd grade book project. The Chicago teacher’s strike was looming – we knew our lives would be disrupted soon, but we didn’t have a clue about the upcoming pandemic that would keep us homebound just a few months later.
The assignment – read this biography of Muhammad Ali, and do a short presentation to the class along with a poster that represents your learning. Watching the new documentary series, Muhammad Ali, took me back instantly to the moments and conversations I had with Sulayman two years ago. The series showed the many parts of who Muhammad Ali was and how his story continues to shape conversations about leadership, loyalty, and legacy.
As Sulayman worked on his project, we read the biography which covered the basics, but we also added other learning experiences. The mosque where Sulayman went for his Quran lessons, a mere few blocks from our home, was built on land donated by Muhammad Ali. Sulayman and I took detours on our way home from school to drive by the Mosque Maryam, the headquarters of the Nation of Islam. We spent time looking at YouTube videos of old boxing matches and testimonies from Ali’s interfaith funeral service. Soon the two weeklong Chicago teacher’s strike was upon us, and with more time on our hands, Sulayman got to work. In addition to picking out his favorite quotes and pictures of Ali, he also identified four lessons he had learned from Ali’s life. As I reflect on the last two years, I realize that these lessons from my then 8-year-old are still salient for us, for me:
Work hard and you will succeed. As Sulayman worked on his report and presentation, he was also struggling at school and at home. We were exploring a possible ADHD diagnosis for Sulayman, and things only got worse as the pandemic began and we switched to remote school. These last 18 months have tested the mettle Sulayman and I were both made of. We’ve had hard days with many challenges, huge failures with small victories. When he came home with an “A” for his presentation and poster, he was thrilled, but that wasn’t the most important part for him. For Sulayman, it was the poster itself, one that he has spent countless hours putting together, which he saved and still pulls out for inspiration when he needs to remember what gifts he is capable of.
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