Fact vs Fiction: Godfather of Harlem season 4 episode 8 — did Muhammad Ali oppose the Vietnam War?

In Godfather of Harlem season 4 episode 8, "If We Must Die," Bumpy Johnson (Forest Whitaker) again runs into a problem with the St. Clair when New York City developer Fred Straub (Ian Lithgow) sues Bumpy for ownership. As the kingpin looks for a way out of this jam that doesn’t cost him everything, he turns to his forced partner, Joe Colombo (Michael Raymond-James). Sadly, Joe's no help, and in the end, it's Joe who actually steals Bumpy’s club away from him, seemingly leaving Bumpy with nothing but debt.

Elsewhere, Delia’s (Roslyn Ruff) youngest son, Jerome (Elijah Wright), is content with going to the Vietnam War after receiving his draft notice. Having already lost a child, Delia is willing to go to extreme lengths to protect him from the dangers of war. She even asks Stella (Lucy Fry) for her assistance. But in the end, it’s Muhammad Ali (Deric Augustine) and the Black Panthers who step in to save the day. Ali shares why he refused to go fight in Vietnam, and the Black Panthers encourage Jerome to fight for another cause instead.

So, did Muhammad Ali oppose the war, and what happened when he refused to go? Plus, what was the Black Panther Party’s stance on the issue? Here’s what happened in Godfather of Harlem season 4 episode 8.

Did Muhammad Ali oppose the Vietnam War?

The fiction
Jerome meets up with his mother and tells Delia he’s determined to answer his call of duty to the draft and go to the Vietnam War. She’s staunchly opposed to the idea and suggests he flee to Canada instead. However, Jerome is not willing to go north.

Later, Delia meets with Mayme (Ilfenesh Hadera) and Elise (Antoinette Crowe-Legacy) to discuss her problems with Jerome. Delia claims Jerome wants to go to Vietnam because his dad served in the military. Elise recommends that Jerome talk to Bumpy, but Mayme states she has a better idea.

Delia brings her son to the local diner, and they find themselves sitting at a table with a lot of food. Jerome questions the portion, and that’s when Mayme and Muhammad Ali arrive.

Speaking one-on-one at the table, Ali tells Jerome about the courage it took for him to refuse to go fight in Vietnam when he was drafted. The boxer claims he lost millions of dollars, was suspended in the boxing world and was facing jail time. Ali said his conscious wouldn’t let him fight the Viet Cong as the Vietnamese hadn’t hurled racist remarks his way, but if he thought the war would bring freedom to Black Americans, he would have willingly suited up and fought.

The fact
According to The Atlantic, on March 9, 1966, Muhammad Ali’s draft status was changed to make him eligible to fight in the Vietnam War. However, he was vehemently against fighting. Then, as described by the History Channel, on April 28, 1967, Ali refused to be inducted into the military, stating, “I ain’t go no quarrel with those Vietcong.”

Later that year, on June 20, Ali was convicted of draft evasion, sentenced to five years in prison and fined $10,000. Additionally, he was banned from boxing for three years. He thankfully was able to avoid prison upon appealing the case, and the Supreme Court ultimately overturned his conviction. You can take a look at Ali express his sentiments on the war in his own words in this video (FYI, Ali uses some strong language in the clip).

Did the Black Panther Party oppose the Vietnam War?

The fiction
While Jerome respected the advice of Ali, he remained determined to follow through with fighting overseas. Desperate to keep her son out of this war, Delia goes to the Genovese headquarters to speak to Stella and ask for her help.

Delia pleads with Stella to have her men kidnap Jerome and take him to Canada. Stella may miss having her son in New York, but she’ll at least know he’s alive if he’s in Canada. Unfortunately, Pino (Erik Palladino) shuts down the idea.

Stella then accompanies Delia to the Black Panthers’ Harlem headquarters to speak with Elise. The three women work out a plan where the Black Panthers will kidnap Jerome, and Stella will help set things up in Canada.

In a subsequent scene, the Black Panthers abduct Jerome while he’s working at a bodega and throw him into the trunk of a car. Before making the trek across the border, they stop at the cemetery by his father’s grave so Jerome can say goodbye to Delia one last time before he leaves.

Jerome can’t believe his mom has orchestrated all of this, and threatens to return. Things take a turn when Jerome says he just wants to do something better with his life. Elise pitches him on joining the Black Panthers. His mom questions the idea, thinking the Black Panthers can be just as dangerous. However, Jerome claims he won’t join the military if he can join the Black Panthers. Delia gives her approval, and he burns his draft card.

The fact
Overall, the Black Panther Party was against the Vietnam War. As detailed by PBS, the Black Panther Party’s Ten-Point Platform states:

“We want all Black men to be exempt from military service. We believe that Black people should not be forced to fight in the military service to defend a racist government that does not protect us. We will not fight and kill other people of color in the world who, like Black people, are being victimized by the White racist government of America."

Godfather of Harlem season 4 continues to air on Sundays on MGM Plus.