Muhammad Ali’s legacy extends far beyond his world championships and Olympic gold, his widow insists, as his hometown of Louisville prepares to mark the 10th anniversary of the boxing legend’s death with a global ‘Day of Compassion’.
Ali, who died on June 3, 2016 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease, is being honored this week at the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville. The center is calling on people worldwide to observe the 10th anniversary on Wednesday (June 3) with acts of service and kindness.
‘He took boxing out of the ring and into every space you can imagine,’ Lonnie Ali said in an interview at the center. ‘Muhammad lived by the motto: Service to others is the rent we pay for our room here on Earth.’
Known at home as the ‘Louisville Lip,’ Ali rose from humble beginnings to become a three-time heavyweight champion and 1960 Olympic gold medalist.
As his fame grew during the 1960s, he became an outspoken voice on civil rights and the Vietnam War, cementing his status as one of the most influential athletes of all time.
The Ali Center, where Lonnie Ali serves as a lifetime director, hopes the ‘Day of Compassion’ will grow into an annual event promoting volunteerism and community service.
She warned that America is ‘losing connection with our humanity and with each other.’ ‘We are increasingly polarized and distant, clustering with people who think like us, look like us – and not really reaching out,’ she added.
Lonnie Ali also challenged political leaders to ‘lead with compassion,’ criticizing moves that weaken the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965. ‘We should always think about how to uplift a community, not make it harder for them. You cannot have equal representation when you deny people the right to vote,’ she said.
She said she still finds hope in how Louisville united for a week of remembrance of Ali’s life in 2016, as thousands lined the streets to watch his funeral procession pass his childhood home and millions followed the service online.
A decade later, Ali’s face has appeared on a U.S. postage stamp – another sign, she said, that his message of courage, faith, and service still resonates ‘from kings and princes to ordinary fans who never met him, but feel they know his heart.’
