Ali says, "I know where I'm going and I know the truth, and I don't have to be what you want me to be. I'm free to be what I want."

Yesterday, Muhammad Ali donned a black tuxedo in his hometown, Louisville, Kentucky. He, along with his wife and a star-studded audience, celebrated the opening of the Muhammad Ali Center--a center paying tribute to the champ's boxing career as well as his commitment to peace and tolerance. Ali was anti-war at a time when it was uncool for a black man to "fight the powers that be." This brute of a man, the heavy-weight champion of the world, was expected to turn his golden gloves in for a standard issued M-16 Assault Rifle in pursuit of the Viet-Kong. The hard hitting Ali responded to the United States government's 1967 draft demand. He didn't dodge the draft, rather, he boldly withstood the harsh criticism of many American patriots by unabashedly and conscientiously objecting to participating in the Vietnam War. Ali reminded the world that "Ain't no Viet-Kong ever called [him] 'nigger.'" This in addition to his 1964 decision to embrace the Nation of Islam while surrendering the worldly moniker, Cassius Clay. Ali required the US to accept him as he was. He told us all that he was America. Ali maintained, "I am the part you won't recognize, but get used to me. Black, confident, cocky -- my name, not yours. My religion, not yours. My goals, my own. Get used to me."



Father of nine, Ali was never at a loss for words and his good works have further entrenched his legendary status both in and out of the ring. At the Muhammad Ali Center's dedication on Saturday evening, both former United States' presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter (via video) congratulated the champ and commented on Ali's dedication to peace and humanity. While Ali has embraced Islam in its entirety as opposed to the narrow vision of the NOI, his deep religious belief has led to his desire to pursue and promote peace, justice, understanding, and love. Looking at Ali (above), he is a beautiful specimen--muscles straining with the gleam of his sweat, just begging the downed Liston as well as any onlookers to record, remember, and worship at this fleshly shrine he'd donned the greatest of all time. To Ali, though, boxing was simply a job. Out of the ring he has been a relentless heavy-weight, fighting injustice, prejudice, and, unfortunately, Parkinson's disease as diagnosed in 1984. While Parkinson's has robbed Ali of much of his mobility and the ability to speak more than a few words, it has not taken his ability to fight oppression. The morning after his fight with Sonny Liston, Ali told reporters, "All I want now is to be a nice, clean gentleman. I've proved my point. Now I'm going to set an example for all the nice boys and girls. I'm through talking." While I'm sure that he didn't know how true this would come to be at the time, the champ has worked toward and continues to accomplish his desire to set a good example for children. My fear is that we will forget the worldly contributions of Muhammad Ali. Sure he has his humanly failings, however, we too often look at images like the one directly above and forget the man Ali is today. His story should give a sense of pride to all children--black and white, yellow and red. From Ali, we understand that it is our right to accept ourselves and each other regardless of and in celebration of our differences. He told us "Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth."

And he has lived up to this maxim, continuing to prove why he is, truly, the greatest of all time.