“My Best Friend”, Muhammad Ali.

One of America’s best known cities is located on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River; Home of the Blues; home of the most romantic southern sunsets; and the poorest population of blacks in the country per capital.

But; within this city one of the best kept secrets in the nation is hind under both the positives and negatives of this historic place; what’s the secret?  This man who made his home Memphis, Tennessee; his name is: Muhammad Ziyad.

The most successful contact man and promoter in America; he was friend to Elvis Presley; his vision is why there’s a STAX Museum; a National Civil Rights Museum; and a Miss Black Memphis Pageant; he’s Editor and Publisher of MLK Magazine; in honor of Dr. Martin L. King Jr. and the owner of The Hot Buttered Soul Awards; and he’s why dozens of high level nationally known celebrities have visited Memphis; most importantly Muhammad Ali.

Mr. Ziyah was a very close friend of

Jabri Muhammad (RA) aka Herbert Muhammad; Muhammad Ali’s manager; who once said that Mr. Ziyad was his adopted son; and he was friend to Jabri’s brother; Imam W.D. Mohammed (RA); leader of the American Muslims and son of The Honorable Elijah Muhammad (RA) of the Nation of Islam.

Memphis was once home of the Muhammad Ali Town ll Cinema; name after Muhammad Ali. Mr. Ziyad is responsible for this venture between George Miller and Muhammad Ali; he introduced Miller to Ali and history was born; the truth is:,if your home is Memphis and there; you met The Greatest; it was by Muhammad Ziyad.

Ali’s movie; The Greatest was nearly unseen in the theater that held his name; Mr. Miller’s theater was boycotted by the movie industry primarily because its owner was black; Ali stepped into the fight and threaten to boycott every premier of his own movie screening; including New York; if the movie wasn’t shown in Mr. Miller’s theater; the threat brought about reconciliation.

Muhammad Ali once introduced Mr. Ziyad; before a world panel of media as; “My best friend”!

In no ways this article sums up Muhammad Ziyad’s massive contribution to our lives; he’s an Imam and a Statesman; more importantly; his finger is on the pulse of black folk’s history and he knows what they’re doing.