Like his lightning-quick jabs, word of Muhammad Ali's death spread swiftly around the globe. An outpouring of emotions flowed to his beloved Kentucky hometown. For one remarkable week in June 2016, Louisville was the focus of ceremonies honoring the three-time heavyweight boxing champion and humanitarian known as The Greatest.
Eight years later, the Muhammad Ali Center has opened an exhibit chronicling those heart-pounding days. It includes photos, a three-dimensional display, and a video documenting the events and emotions. Putting it together was bittersweet but important. The exhibit features an acrylic panel surrounded by more than 1,000 silk roses symbolizing the flowers that admirers tossed onto the hearse as Ali's funeral procession made its way to Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville. An inscription on the panel recounts those days, stating that Ali's passing “sent ripples across continents, transcending borders and cultural divides.”
Visitors will also see a striking black-and-white photo of Ali taken in the 1990s, along with his own words displayed, including his desire to be remembered 'as a man who never looked down on those who looked up to him.' A video showcases footage of news reports about his death at age 74 and from his memorial service. Photos capture the enormity of the crowds that paid their respects, including a marquee honoring him at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Ali's wife, Lonnie Ali, expressed gratitude for Louisville's support during that week, calling the city “the perfect host to the world.” Mourners gathered at makeshift memorials at his boyhood home and the downtown cultural center bearing his name. An estimated 100,000 people lined the streets as the funeral procession passed, with chants of “Ali, Ali” echoing. A star-studded memorial service followed his burial, with comedian Billy Crystal eulogizing Ali as a 'tremendous bolt of lightning, created by Mother Nature out of thin air, a fantastic combination of power and beauty.”
Mayor Craig Greenberg described the celebration of Ali's life as one of the most powerful and culturally significant events in the city's history. The exhibit, titled The Greatest Remembered, will be a permanent fixture at the Ali Center, aiming to preserve Ali's humanitarian legacy and promote his core principles: spirituality, giving, conviction, confidence, respect, and dedication.
As the exhibit was unveiled, visitors like Keith Paulk paid tribute to Ali's legacy, reflecting on his heroism and the global impact of his life and death. Lonnie Ali hopes the exhibit will continue to share the love, remembrance, and unity that emerged during that week, emphasizing the ability of people to come together for the greater good.
