As his family and friends get ready to bury Muhammad Ali this week, Here & Now is taking a deeper look at various aspects of the boxer’s life and legacy.

Ali, a three-time world heavy weight boxing champion, nicknamed – and self-proclaimed – “The Greatest,” was also probably the most famous American Muslim. Born Cassius Clay, Ali converted to Islam, to the Nation of Islam, in 1964, and later became a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War.

Here & Now‘s Robin Young talks with Zaheer Ali, researcher and lecturer in American history with a focus on Islam and black America, about how Ali shaped America’s view of Islam, and how Islam shaped America’s view of Ali.

• Listen to our conversation about Ali with Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer

Guest

• Zaheer Ali, oral historian at the Brooklyn Historical Society and co-host of its “Flatbush + Main” podcast. He tweets @zaheerali.

Copyright 2016 NPR. To see more, visit NPR.