Photo of Ali and Singer Arthur Prysock in the kitchen of his first Champburger franchise in Northwest Miami, 1969.Today black history month and entrepreneurial story is about Louisville native and heavy weight boxing champion Muhammad Ali. As a Member of the Nation of Islam, a black pacifist religious organization, Ali refused to be drafted into the U. S. army during the Vietnam War, telling a reporter, “I ain’t got no quarrel with them Viet Congs. No Viet Cong ever called me Nigger.” His militant stance against the war resulted in Federal charges of violating the U. S. government’s Selective Service Act, a sentence of five years imprisonment, and a fine of $1, 00,000. He appealed the decision consequently keeping out of jail. However, The World Boxing Association stripped him of his title and boxing license and the government forced him to surrender his passport thus preventing him from earning money fighting abroad. To support his family, he among other activities, signed a restaurant franchise deal that netted him $900,000 from the Champburger Company for the use of his name and image and a 1% royalties on the company’s annual profits. In 1968, Champburger stock sold for $5 a share. Starting in Northwest Miami, Ali launched a chain of black-owned-and-operated “Champburger Palaces” in black neighborhoods. The licensing contract he signed with Champburger stipulated that all franchise menus sell Muslim friendly food without pork or shellfish. Thus in addition to the all beef Champburger, franchises would sell all beef “hot dogs, fried chicken, fried fish, boiled fish, other food products and soft drinks including his own endorsed Mr. Champ soda. The franchise never made out of Miami as the company never gained enough investors and got bogged down in a lengthy and expensive court case with stockholders.
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