Rev. Jesse Jackson has died, and as the country reflects on his decades of activism and political leadership, it is impossible not to think about one of the most powerful alliances of his era: his bond with Muhammad Ali.

Their connection was not casual. It was rooted in shared risk.

Both men understood early that fame was not protection. It was exposure. Ali learned that in 1967 when he refused induction into the Vietnam War, citing his religious beliefs and opposition to racial injustice in America. He lost his heavyweight title and was banned from boxing during what should have been the prime of his career. Many public figures stayed quiet. Jackson did not see Ali’s stand as reckless. He saw it as moral clarity.

Jackson had worked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and came of age in the heart of the Civil Rights Movement. He recognized that Ali’s refusal was not just about war. It was about dignity. It was about a Black man asserting his conscience in a country that expected compliance.

By the time Jackson launched his presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988, Ali had already reclaimed his title and cemented his status as a global icon. But their relationship deepened in a new way during that period. Jackson was building the Rainbow Coalition and challenging the idea that Black political power had limits. Ali’s presence at events and his public support sent a message that athlete activism and political ambition could exist side by side.

They both knew what it meant to be called too loud. Too ambitious. Too political.

Ali had been told to stick to boxing. Jackson was told to stay in the pulpit. Neither man listened.

What made their bond powerful was not just public appearances. It was a philosophical alignment. Both were shaped by faith. Both believed that leadership required sacrifice. Both understood that popularity and principle do not always go hand in hand.

In later years, as Ali battled Parkinson’s disease, Jackson remained supportive and vocal about his impact. When Ali lit the Olympic torch at the 1996 Atlanta Games, the moment felt larger than sports. It felt like vindication. A man once stripped of his title by his own government now stood on a global stage representing it. Jackson often pointed to moments like that as proof that history eventually catches up to courage.

Now, with Jackson’s passing, the parallels feel even sharper.

Ali died in 2016. Jackson leaves behind a similarly complex and towering legacy. Neither man was simple. Both evolved. Both made mistakes. But both refused to shrink when pressure mounted.

Their lives challenged the false divide between sports and politics. Ali proved an athlete could risk everything for belief. Jackson proved a preacher could run for president and reshape the political map. Together, they modeled a version of Black leadership that was unapologetic and expansive.

As tributes pour in for Jackson, it is worth remembering that his story cannot be told without acknowledging the kindred spirits who walked beside him. Muhammad Ali was one of them.

One fought in the ring. One fought at the ballot box. Both understood that silence was never an option.