Muhammad Ali Center to Carry on Ideals of "The Greatest" Opening 2005 in Louisville

Louisville, KY (February 4, 2004) – Muhammad Ali’s legacy is motivational, an integral part of history, and one that will now be preserved through a new institution, the Muhammad Ali Center. Ali’s life-long dream is being built in his hometown of Louisville and will open in 2005.

The education and cultural center will explore the life and times of the man who called himself “the Greatest” at a time when African Americans were often not viewed as societal equals, according to Michael Fox, President and CEO of the Ali Center.

“ More importantly, the Center will be an inclusive organization that mirrors Ali’s own personal commitment to society and the world,” Fox says.

Ali, who has always meant different things to different people, has inspired young and old of all cultures, ethnicities, and religions, Fox says. He has transcended sports and has never fit any other mold but his own. As an African American, he was a symbol of the social and political currents of the sixties, and was at the forefront of the then new “black pride” era.

As an athlete, Ali is the first man to have ever won the world heavyweight boxing championship three times. As a human being, Muhammad Ali continues to serve others and advocate for respect, hope, and understanding, both at home and around the globe.

“ These ideals will be communicated by the Center online and on-site through public and educational programming, and an overall experience that leads participants through theme-based ‘pavilions,’” Fox says.

These themes, based on Ali’s life are: respect, confidence, conviction, dedication, giving, and spiritual centering. “Visitors will be encouraged to embark on their own paths to personal best,” Fox says.

With its Peacemaking and Conflict Resolution Institute of the University of Louisville the Center will help people worldwide learn how to manage diversity of viewpoint and solve differences through dialogue rather than with violence.

“It’s either the worst of times or the best of times for the Center’s development,” says Fox, “when lack of understanding gives rise to prejudice, terrorism, and other forms of aggression. Our vision will be focused the commonalities that bind us together as human beings.”

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