A Lifetime of Service from the Greatest Muhammad Ali : Black Celebrity Giving

“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth,” ~ MuhammadAli.

Today we have truly lost yet another legend in the greatest ever, a champion, but more than anything a true humanitarian, Muhammad Ali. There are few who have gone to the depths of service like Ali. His biggest wins were not in the ring but in his fight for his beliefs and service to other. A descendant of pre-Civil War era American slaves, Ali grew up in the segregated South, where he experienced prejudice and discrimination firsthand. Upon returning to the United States after winning an Olympic Gold Medal in Rome in 1960, he was turned away from a “whites-only” restaurant.

In 1967, Ali refused induction into the U.S. Armed Forces due to his religious beliefs. As a result, he was arrested, fined, stripped of his boxing license and title, and found guilty of draft evasion. Though Ali was prepared to pay the price for his convictions, the Supreme Court reversed the decision in 1971,he retired 10 years later. Devoting his life to helping promote world peace, civil rights, cross-cultural understanding, interfaith relations, humanitarianism, hunger relief, and the commonality of basic human values. Throughout his boxing career, Ali’s highly publicized fights in locales such as Kinshasa, Manila, and Kuala Lumpur brought increased global attention to the developing world. He continued to serve those in need overseas, providing over 232 million meals to the world’s hungry. Ali hand-delivered food and medical supplies to children in Cote D’Ivoire, Indonesia, Mexico, and Morocco, among other countries.

His work as an ambassador for peace began in 1985, when he flew to Lebanon to secure the release of four hostages. Ali also has made goodwill missions to Afghanistan and North Korea; delivered over $1 million in medical aid to Cuba; traveled to Iraq to secure the release of 15 United States hostages during the first Gulf War; and journeyed to South Africa to meet Nelson Mandela upon his release from prison. He helped two American hikers held captive in Iran reinforces his tireless commitment to promoting freedom, tolerance, and humanity around the world.

In addition to his international efforts, Ali is equally devoted to helping charities at home. He has visited countless numbers of soup kitchens and hospitals, and helped organizations including the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Special Olympics. He also annually participates in Celebrity Fight Night, which generates funds for the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona.

In November 2005, Ali and his wife Lonnie opened the Muhammad Ali Center in their hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. That same year he received the Presidential Citizens Medal and awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Lending his support to countless causes, his foundation annually hosts Celebrity Fight Night in Phoenix, AZ, which generates funds for the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center.

Ali once said, “I’ve always wanted to be more than just a boxer. More than just the three-time heavyweight champion. I wanted to use my fame, and this face that everyone knows so well, to help uplift and inspire people around the world.”

Rest in Heaven, we truly lost a legend!

Muhammad Ali A Lifetime of Service - Presidential Medal of Freedom

Muhammad Ali A Lifetime of Service

Boxing legend Muhammad Ali, right, visits with young children January 1996 at a hospital in Havana, Cuba. Ali was visiting the island to bring aid to Cuban hospitals. (Photo by Jorge Rey/Liaison)