An Inside Look at New Muhammad Ali Documentary

Learning from the New Muhammad Ali Documentary

Ken Burns’ latest four-part Muhammad Ali documentary recently premiered on PBS and can be viewed here. Jeffrey Brown visited Burns at his studio for a behind-the-scenes look at how he makes his films, and the larger context and conflicts in telling America’s story in a time of racial reckoning. This report is part of our arts and culture series, “CANVAS.” Read the summary, watch the video and answer the discussion questions. Some students may find it easier to read along with the transcript or turn on closed captions/CC.

Discussion Questions

• Who is Ken Burns and what is he known for?
• What are some of the reasons Burns wanted to cover Ali?
• When did Muhammad Ali become a civil rights icon?
• Why is telling Ali’s story important, according to this interview?
• How might this documentary add to viewers’ understanding of the American experience?

Focus Question:If you could request an in-depth documentary about one historical American figure, who would you choose, and why?

• What are your thoughts on Ken Burn’s response about making Muhammad Ali documentary as a white male and the issue of ‘who gets to tell the story’?

Media Literacy: Why do you think this piece was largely about the making of the documentary, and not the subject of the documentary itself?

Additional Resource: You can watch Ken Burns’ Muhammad Ali series here. Watch the trailer below.

Republished with permission from PBS NewsHour Extra.