Muhammad Ali Stumps in Mississippi Senate Race 1978

A story I shot in 1978 about Muhammad Ali coming to Mississippi to stump for Charles Evers (the brother of slain civil rights icon Medgar Evers) run for for Mississippi U.S. Senate. While Evers run no doubt insured that Republican Thad Cochran beat out Democrat Maurice Dantin it was exciting for African-American's to see a strong showing by an African-American candidate. The talented Gary Whitaker is the reporter for this story we did for the NBC feed.

[@Alex-jr1zs]

You can notice the humility in both folks. This is what the people want. A genuine person.

[@nassermohd3038]

I’m so glad to know that Ali saw USA with a black president elected before he died rip

[@AB-xe3nr]

Underrated Comment my friend. You know I always kept saying this for a long time till people got tired of hearing it

[@cesarpedrazamartinezgarcia725]

I'm sure he could've been a president himself if god wasn't so cruel with him. Hell have you seen he's brother? He would be rocking today just like Tyson

[@connorduke4619]

Ali not only saw the first black president but also the first gay one in Obama. So it was double the celebration.

[@asmrnaturecat984]

he peobably dissapointed like the rest of the world, black or white potus still have red bloody hands of the world's innocents

[@asmrnaturecat984]

im sure he is more dissapointed than glad

[@cameramandavid]

Who knows. It did create some excitement for Evers campaign. Evers came in third in the race. With the traditionally Democratic vote of African-Americans going for the independent Charles Evers, Democrat Maurice Dantin came in second - allowing Thad Cochran to become the first Republican Senator in Mississippi in decades.

[@HamzaKhan-bg9fh]

Super neat video, thanks for posting and explaining. I've never seen this footage before

[@swami1]

The slurred speech was very evident by this point,

[@farhatabbasmalik3163]

Muhammad Ali the Great

[@shaynelahmed6323]

So? Did having Ali in his corner help? Must say, true rarity to have Ali backing any politician..

[@gilliannebesny9276]

R I p beautiful❤️❣️💘I met this handsome man with lovely skin😍he was as wide and tall as a standard door love him too bits

[@kahtanalobaidi1550]

He has my vote

[@peterstorck5349]

AND mine too!!

[@محمديوسف-ر1ن3ص]

رحمة الله علي الحاج /محمدعلي

[@paulfuchs5688]

David, did you cover the caravan through the Mississippi Delta when Muhammad Ali came to Mound Bayou on a Sunday night?

[@cameramandavid]

No. I wish I had, sounds amazing.

[@paulfuchs5688]

@@cameramandavid It was amazing. I was the physician at the Mound Bayou Community (Taborian) Hospital that night. After the planned rally at the now closed JFK high school, Ali stood outside among the crowd for over thirty minutes on a warm evening and gave an impromptu speech and demonstrated his boxing skills. Before he departed, I had the privilege of shaking his hand.

[@Swat-ed5bt]

ALI THE GREATEST 🥊🥊🥊

[@peterstorck5349]

AND BY A VERY VERY LONG WAY TOO MY FRIEND!!

[@mookie449]

Ali slurring his words.

[@cameramandavid]

It wasn’t until 1984 that Ali revealed he had Parkinson’s syndrome. Undoubtedly it had gone undiagnosed for years.

[@mookie449]

@@cameramandavid wrong...he was punch drunk from getting the crap beaten out of him. his handlers used him up for easy paydays.

[@cameramandavid]

@@mookie449 Ali and his doctors deny his boxing had anything to do with his Parkinson’s but we can all speculate. I know by the time he lit the Olympic torch in 1996 he looked pretty bad.

[@nickslade3978]

​@@cameramandavidit had been gradually manifesting for a decade or so

[@CahyaTroy]

@@nickslade3978 experts say he exhibited signs of parkinsons as early as 74' and if that's truly the case, since that would just be the outward symptoms, then Ali probably started losing his ability to really move his body around how he did during his prime as early as 1970. :'(