The word had spread and people were piling around us. But then very suddenly, Sonny Liston froze me with that look of his. He said real quiet, 'Let's go on over here.' And he led the way to a table and the people hung back. I ain't going to lie. This was the only time since I have known Sonny Liston that he really scared me.

I'm the greatest fighter in the entire world, how can I be afraid? I love people and people love me.

God works through people. It’s not me.

Number one comes freedom first for my people and equality. And this is what I plan to do after I'm through fighting - working with nothing but the people, the little people in the alleys: the downtrodden people, going out and helping them with my image.

It's impossible for 30 million black people to be violent against 170 million - we need a mental revolution, unity in coming together, and not physical.

I have more fans and more followers and more supporters. Because the people who actually saw the Joe Frazier Muhammad Ali fight, they saw me win at least nine rounds - the people who know boxing.

How come the Chinese can go where I can't go in America? Englishmen can come and set up a business in white America and do things I can't do.The Puerto Rican, Hawaiians, just about everybody can do more than black people and are more respected.

People sold everything - their cars, their land for miles, to come in and see me beat. I went to the bank laughing every time.

I don't consider myself no attractive man. People like Tom Jones and Elvis Presley - I'm not nothing like that.

You got black people in an all-white country and they don't know nothing about themselves.

Who would thought only of themselves and kill their race? You would hate other people if you don't want to stay who you are.

I love my people and I don't hate nobody and it keeps me out of trouble.

I try not to speak about all the charities and people I help, because I believe we can only be truly generous when we expect nothing in return.

We are all God's people. We are prejudiced and we separate into Jews, Mexicans, Italians, but God doesn't see colors.

There are billions of people in the world, and every one of them is special. No one else in the world is like you.

I do a lot of reading, a lot of studying. I ask questions, I'll go out, travel these countries, I'll watch how their people live, and I learn.

When people are forced to interact to survive, their prejudices diminish.

White people just don't want their slaves to be free. That's the whole thing.

Ever since I first came here in 1963 to fight Henry Cooper, I have loved the people of England.

People don't realize what they had till it's gone. Like President Kennedy, there was no one like him, the Beatles, and my man Elvis Presley. I was the Elvis of boxing.

I know I got it made while the masses of black people are catchin' hell, but as long as they ain't free, I ain't free.

I'm the most recognized and loved man that ever lived cuz there weren't no satellites when Jesus and Moses were around, so people far away in the villages didn't know about them.

The Nation of Islam's main focus was teaching black pride and self-awareness. Why should we keep trying to force ourselves into white restaurants and schools when white people didn't want us? Why not clean up our own neighborhoods and schools instead of trying to move out of them and into white people's neighborhoods?

I would say things like 'I am the greatest! I'm pretty! If you talk jive, you'll drop in five! I float like a butterfly, sting like a bee! I'm pretty!' When white people heard me talking like this, some said, 'That black man talks too much. He's bragging.'