Three Kings: The Heroic Leadership of Elvis, The Champ,... Muhammad Ali Elvis Presley

Three Kings: The Heroic Leadership of Elvis, The Champ, and MLK, Jr.
Yosmary Rodriguez, Jennifer Cecilione, Emma Gleckel, Dr. Scott Allison
University of Richmond
The Hero’s Journey
• Joseph Campbell
• Comparative Mythologist
• Surveyed the mythical stories of antiquity
• Enduring effect on literature, film, &
television
• The Hero’s Journey, or monomyth, consists of different
stages including a final stage that includes the hero’s
role in transforming society.
Muhammad Ali
Elvis Presley
• Born in Louisville, Kentucky,
Muhammad Ali grew up in the
segregated South,
experiencing racial prejudice
and discrimination. In 1954,
when he was only 12-yearsold, he discovered his passion
for fighting, after getting his
bike stolen, and immediately
began to learn how to box
with trainer Joe Martin. Right
away his boxing career began
by winning his first amateur
fight.
• Born in Tupelo, Mississippi Elvis
Presley came from a working-class
family. In 1954, with the support
of Sam Philips, Presley recorded
his first single for Sun Studio
Records. Right after, in 1955, with
the support of his manager, Tom
Parker, he signed with RCA
Records.
• Also known as “The King of Rock
n’ Roll,” Elvis Presley is widely
recognized for transforming
popular music and forever
changing norms of appearance
and conduct.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Martin
Luther King, Jr. grew up in a
ministry family, living in a
neighborhood of Black elites. It
was toward the end of his
education at Morehouse College
that he began to develop both
spiritually and intellectually, with
the guidance of various
Morehouse professors ,and
gained particular interest in
social justice.
• Martin Luther King, Jr. is widely
recognized as a central figure in
the advancement of civil rights
for African Americans in the
United States.
• Also known as “The Greatest,”
Muhammad Ali revolutionized
the sport of boxing through
his speed and skills and
transformed the role and
image of the African American
athlete.