Cassius Clay, widely known as Muhammad Ali, was one of the founding fathers of the Black community’s ability to have conviction. It was through the elite boxer’s on and off-stage presence and faithful practice that we were given permission to believe in defying the odds — no matter what those odds were.

Muhammad Ali, a multidimensional man, was the greatest boxer not solely for his athletic ability but rather his poetic, humanitarian and activist energy. Recently, while in Louisville, Kentucky (the city where Ali grew up), I had the privilege of visiting the Muhammad Ali Center. The four-floor museum serves as a time machine, devoting its efforts to providing guests with a true reincarnation of Ali’s lifetime. The truly remarkable experience of the Ali Center stays with you long after you leave and forces you to reflect. One man shook up the whole world by simply being himself.

As we celebrate the anniversary of his passing, I’m reminded that his legacy and spirit live on now more than ever.

At the Ali Center, I learned that the boxer’s core principles were confidence, conviction, dedication, giving, respect and spirituality.

principles

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