11.04.23

MEDIA ADVISORY

Muhammad Ali Center celebrates 10th annual Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards

Awardees included KIND Bars CEO, Innocence Project co-founder, LMPD Officer, HollyRod Foundation

LOUISVILLE, KY (November 4, 2023) — The 10th annual Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards took place Saturday, November 4, and boasted another esteemed panel of honorees.

The Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards are the Center’s largest annual fundraiser and incorporate two categories: Seasoned Awards, honoring individuals who have dedicated a significant portion of their lives to humanitarianism, and Six Core Principles Awards, presented to young adults 30 years of age or younger.

KIND founder Daniel Lubetzky received the first-ever Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for Civility & Compassion for his social entrepreneurship and empowering people to overcome extreme beliefs and division. Lubetzky, the son of a Holocaust survivor, founded the OneVoice Movement, an international grassroots effort to amplify the voices of moderate Israelis and Palestinians to resolve conflict. His other philanthropic organizations include Starts With Us, the KIND Foundation, Feed the Truth, and more. He’s also a recurring Shark on ABC’s Shark Tank.

Jason Flom received the Muhammad Ali Lifetime Achievement Award. Flom is the Founder and CEO of Lava Records,and Lava Media, LLC, and the former chairman and CEO of Atlantic Records and Virgin Records, Jason is an outspoken advocate for the wrongfully convicted. Through his work co-founding the Innocence Project and with Families Against Mandatory Minimums, he’s raised significant awareness and funds toward criminal justice reform. He hosts the hit podcast Wrongful Convictions and serves as a board member of numerous criminal justice reform organizations.

Actress Holly Robinson Peete and her husband, former NFL quarterback Rodney Peete, received the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year Award. The couple founded the HollyRod Foundation to raise awareness and provide resources to families with a loved one who has received an autism or Parkinson’s Disease diagnosis. The Peetes were inspired to start the foundation to honor Holly’s father, actor Matthew T. Robinson Jr., who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease at the age of 45, and their son RJ, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. The couple works to provide compassionate care for families and empower individuals to live their best lives.

This year’s Kentuckian of the Year Award was given to Officer Nickolas Wilt of the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD), who was one of the first officers on the scene of the Old National Bank shooting earlier this year. Wilt, who was severely wounded in the incident, was motivated to join LMPD to serve and protect his community while educating and providing aid to those in need. He previously worked as a local firefighter and dispatcher, and with Oldham County EMS.

That award was presented by Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear to Wilt and his brothers, who were all in attendance.

“Officer Wilt, I can never put into words just how thankful I am for you, your bravery, and your sacrifice,” Governor Beshear said. “You are a true Kentucky hero and we love you.”

Joining those Seasoned Awardees were six young international humanitarians doing work in their countries and communities which embodies one of Muhammad Ali’s Six Core Principles: Confidence, Conviction, Dedication, Giving, Respect, and Spirituality.

Andrew Brennen (25) became the first -ever Kentucky-native Core Principle honoree when he receives the Confidence Award for his work co-founding Kentucky Student Voice. Brennen also co-authored Kentucky HB 236, a bill vying for Kentucky student inclusion. He will be pursuing his law degree from Columbia University in the fall and is a National Geographic Society fellow.

Pashtana Durrani (25) received the Conviction Award for her courageous work as founder of LEARN Afghanistan to educate girls and women in the country. Durrani has educated 7,000 girls and boys in Kandahar and trained more than 80 teachers in digital literacy. She was previously honored by the Malala Fund and among the BBC 100 and Time 100 influence lists.

Anna Luísa Beserra Santos (25) of Brazil received the Dedication award for her work to provide safe drinking water, handwashing, and sanitation to rural families. She is the founder of Sustainable Water and Development for All and a United Nations “Young Champion of the Earth.”

Nidhi Pant (30) of India received the Giving Award. Pant is the co-founder of S4S Technologies and her work focuses on sustainability and inclusion by empowering women to be climate champions, farmers, and entrepreneurs.

Leon Ford (30) was paralyzed when he was shot by police officers during a traffic stop in Pittsburgh in 2012. He received the Respect Award to honor the work of his organization, the Hear Foundation. Through his collaboration with Pittsburgh Police Chief Scott Schubert, Ford’s Hear Foundation tackles issues of gun violence, racial justice, and police reform.

“I accept this award not just as a personal honor, but as a reminder of the work we all have before us,” Ford said. “In the spirit of Muhammad Ali, let us strive for a more just and compassionate world. Let us be champions not just in the ring of our own lives but in the arena of humanity.”

Dr. Daniel Nour (27) became the first Australian awardee when he accepts the Spirituality Award. Dr. Nour founded Street Side Medics – a mobile medical service specifically created for people experiencing homelessness.

The Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards are made possible through the generous support of Brown-Forman, as well as by travel sponsorships from Louisville Tourism and 21C Museum Hotel, and by all the corporate and individual donors who support this event.

Contact:

Annie Moore

Muhammad Ali Center

amoore@alicenter.org

502.992.5338 or 812.786.1072 mobile

10.24.23

MEDIA ADVISORY

Ali Center approaching 10th annual Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards

Governor Beshear to attend, awardees include KIND Bars CEO, Innocence Project co-founder, LMPD Officer, HollyRod Foundation

Details released about November 3, 2023 event with JCPS students, awardees

Credential Application Deadline: Monday, October 30, 2023

LOUISVILLE, KY (October 24, 2023) — The 10th annual Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards will take place Saturday, November 4, and boasts another esteemed panel of honorees.  

Media are reminded that credentials are REQUIRED. They can be applied for at alicenter.org/maha.

The Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards are the Center’s largest annual fundraiser and incorporate two categories: Seasoned Awards, honoring individuals who have dedicated a significant portion of their lives to humanitarianism, and Six Core Principles Awards, presented to young adults 30 years of age or younger.

KIND founder Daniel Lubetzky will receive the first-ever Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for Civility & Compassion for his social entrepreneurship and empowering people to overcome extreme beliefs and division. Lubetzky, the son of a Holocaust survivor, founded the OneVoice Movement, an international grassroots effort to amplify the voices of moderate Israelis and Palestinians to resolve conflict. His other philanthropic organizations include Starts With Us, the KIND Foundation, Feed the Truth, and more. He’s also a recurring Shark on ABC’s Shark Tank. 

Jason Flom will receive the Muhammad Ali Lifetime Achievement Award. Jason is the Founder and CEO of Lava Records, and Lava Media, LLC, and the former chairman and CEO of Atlantic Records and Virgin Records, Jason is an outspoken advocate for the wrongfully convicted. Through his work co-founding the Innocence Project and with Families Against Mandatory Minimums, he’s raised significant awareness and funds toward criminal justice reform. He hosts the hit podcast Wrongful Convictions and serves as a board member of numerous criminal justice reform organizations. 

Actress Holly Robinson Peete and her husband, former NFL quarterback Rodney Peete, will receive the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year Award. The couple founded the HollyRod Foundation to raise awareness and provide resources to families with a loved one who has received an autism or Parkinson’s Disease diagnosis. The Peetes were inspired to start the foundation to honor Holly’s father, actor Matthew T. Robinson Jr., who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease at the age of 45, and their son RJ, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. The couple works to provide compassionate care for families and empower individuals to live their best lives. 

This year’s Kentuckian of the Year Award will be given to Officer Nickolas Wilt of the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD), who was one of the first officers on the scene of the Old National Bank shooting earlier this year. Wilt, who was severely wounded in the incident, was motivated to join LMPD to serve and protect his community while educating and providing aid to those in need. He previously worked as a local firefighter and dispatcher, and with Oldham County EMS. 

Joining those Seasoned Awardees will be six young international humanitarians doing work in their countries and communities which embodies one of Muhammad Ali’s Six Core Principles: Confidence, Conviction, Dedication, Giving, Respect, and Spirituality.   

Andrew Brennen (25) will become the first -ever Kentucky-native Core Principle honoree when he receives the Confidence Award for his work co-founding Kentucky Student Voice. Brennen also co-authored Kentucky HB 236, a bill vying for Kentucky student inclusion. He will be pursuing his law degree from Columbia University in the fall and is a National Geographic Society fellow. 

Pashtana Durrani (25) will receive the Conviction Award for her courageous work as founder of LEARN Afghanistan to educate girls and women in the country. Durrani has educated 7,000 girls and boys in Kandahar and trained more than 80 teachers in digital literacy. She was previously honored by the Malala Fund and among the BBC 100 and Time 100 influence lists. 

Anna Luísa Beserra Santos (25) of Brazil will receive the Dedication award for her work to provide safe drinking water, handwashing, and sanitation to rural families. She is the founder of Sustainable Water and Development for All and a United Nations “Young Champion of the Earth.” 

Nidhi Pant (30) of India will receive the Giving Award. Pant is the co-founder of S4S Technologies and her work focuses on sustainability and inclusion by empowering women to be climate champions, farmers, and entrepreneurs. 

Leon Ford (29) was paralyzed when he was shot by police officers during a traffic stop in Pittsburgh in 2012. He will receive the Respect Award to honor the work of his organization, the Hear Foundation. Through his collaboration with Pittsburgh Police Chief Scott Schubert, Ford’s Hear Foundation tackles issues of gun violence, racial justice, and police reform. 

Dr. Daniel Nour (27) will become the first Australian awardee when he accepts the Spirituality Award. Dr. Nour founded Street Side Medics – a mobile medical service specifically created for people experiencing homelessness. 

To involve the larger Louisville community and introduce them to the 2023 honorees, the Ali Center will hold a public event on Friday, November 3rd.This will take place at the University of Louisville  and feature the Six Core Principle awardees, as well as more than 150 JCPS students participating in open discussion

Notes to Media:   

Credential requests are now open!   

Please submit your information here: https://alicenter.org/awards/media-credential-form/ by Monday, October 30.   

Photos of awardees available upon request.   

The Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards are made possible through the generous support of Brown-Forman, as well as by travel sponsorships from Louisville Tourism and 21C Museum Hotel, and by all the corporate and individual donors who support this event.   

Contact:

Annie Moore

Muhammad Ali Center

amoore@alicenter.org

502.992.5338 or 812.786.1072 mobile

10.10.23

MEDIA ADVISORY

Muhammad Ali Center website gets six-figure overhaul

New website positions Ali Center as leading authority of Muhammad Ali’s life and legacy

LOUISVILLE, KY (October 10, 2023) — After a year of development and production, the Muhammad Ali Center is proud to unveil the new alicenter.org. This new website is the ultimate source of Muhammad Ali information, and a state-of-the-art hub reflecting the next chapter of the Center. Features of the new site include an in-depth biographical section about Ali and a Learning Hub for educators, as well as the Center’s new membership program.

As the Muhammad Ali Center approaches its 20th anniversary, the team is pleased to present this new, completely redesigned website, reflecting both the vitality of Muhammad Ali and the vibrancy of his legacy being continued in the work of the Ali Center.

Muhammad Ali co-founded the Center with his wife Lonnie in 2005, not only as a repository for his story, but also a hub for inspiring generations of changemakers to create a world where everyone can achieve their own greatness. The Center believes this new online platform continues in that spirit.

“To be a 21st Century destination, we needed to take our web presence to the next level,” Ali Center President and CEO Marilyn Jackson said. “It’s our hope alicenter.org will become a destination for admirers, visitors, and lifelong learners.”

After Center leadership agreed it was time to refresh the website, a new alicenter.org was envisioned during months of research with external and internal stakeholders. The goal was to create an educational and historical resource where people around the world can learn about the legacy of the champion, presented with the same visual panache of Muhammad Ali himself.

“When people visit the museum, often they enter knowing Muhammad Ali the boxer and leave loving Ali the Humanitarian,” Senior Manager of Content and Communications, Annie Moore said. “I truly hope visitors to our new website experience that same journey and learn how much more than a boxer Muhammad was.”

The Center partnered with Chicago-based firm, Field Theory, for the year-long process, which included a complete rework of the website’s user experience, user interface, and site-mapping. The new site features modernized search engine optimization (SEO) and accessibility best practices.

The Ali Center is proud to house the largest online biographical record of the life of Muhammad Ali, including his entire boxing career, his humanitarian efforts around the world, and those in his inner circle. The Ali Center hopes this resource will help educate the next generation about Ali, as well as showing the seasoned fans some things they didn’t know. In addition, the new website will be a home for educators looking to access the Education department’s resources like lesson plans, presentations, and worksheets.

Another feature the Center is proud to highlight is the full integration of the digital museum. The Ali Center’s digital archives house more than 1,000 artifacts and photos telling the story of Ali’s life. It’s the hope of the Ali Center this online resource lowers barriers to access these pieces of history.

Photographs featured on the new website appear courtesy of the Muhammad Ali Center Archives, Authentic Brands Group, Courier Journal, Howard Bingham Estate, Louisville Photographer, Library of Congress, Associated Press, Jeff Julian, Sonia Katchian, LeRoy Neiman Center, Lynn Quail and more.

Contact:

Annie Moore

Muhammad Ali Center

amoore@alicenter.org

502.992.5338 or 812.786.1072 mobile

08.28.23

MEDIA ADVISORY

Ali Center announces 2023 Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award recipients

Awardees include KIND Bars Founder, Innocence Project co-founder, LMPD Officers, HollyRod Foundation

LOUISVILLE, KY (August 28, 2023) — The 10th annual Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards will take place Saturday, November 4, and boasts another esteemed panel of honorees.
The Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards, the Center’s largest annual fundraiser, incorporates two categories: Seasoned Awards, honoring individuals who have dedicated a significant portion of their lives to humanitarianism, and Six Core Principles Awards, presented to young adults 30 years of age or younger.

Daniel Lubetzky, a social entrepreneur best known as the Founder of KIND Snacks, will receive the first-ever Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for Civility & Compassion for his commitment to building businesses and civic movements that empower people to solve problems together across perceived divides. Lubetzky, the son of a Holocaust survivor, strives to prevent what happened to his father and others from happening again. He conceived civic movements, OneVoice and Starts With Us, to give voice and agency to the vast majority of people who favor common sense solution-building over extreme partisanship and hateful divisiveness. He is also a reoccurring Shark on ABC’s Shark Tank.

Jason Flom will receive the Muhammad Ali Lifetime Achievement Award. Jason is the Founder and CEO of Lava Records, and Lava Media, LLC, and the former chairman and CEO of Atlantic Records and Virgin Records. Jason is an outspoken advocate for the wrongfully convicted. Through his work co-founding the Innocence Project and Families Against Mandatory Minimums, he’s raised significant awareness and funds toward criminal justice reform. He hosts the hit podcast Wrongful Convictions and serves as a board member of numerous criminal justice reform organizations.

Actress Holly Robinson Peete and her husband, former NFL quarterback Rodney Peete, will receive the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year Award. The couple founded the HollyRod Foundation to raise awareness and provide resources to families with a loved one who has received an autism or Parkinson’s Disease diagnosis. The Peetes were inspired to start the foundation to honor Holly’s father, actor Matthew T. Robinson Jr., who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease at the age of 45, and their son RJ, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of three. The couple works to provide compassionate care for families and empower individuals to live their best lives.

This year’s Kentuckian of the Year Award will be given to Officer Nickolas Wilt of the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD), who was one of the first officers on the scene of the Old National Bank Shooting earlier this year. Wilt, who was severely wounded in the incident, was motivated to join LMPD to serve and protect his community while educating and providing aid to those in need. He previously worked with Oldham County EMS and as a local firefighter and dispatcher.

Joining those Seasoned Awardees will be six young international humanitarians doing work in their countries and communities which embodies one of Muhammad Ali’s Six Core Principles: Confidence, Conviction, Dedication, Giving, Respect, and Spirituality.

Andrew Brennen (25) will become the first-ever Kentucky-native Core Principle honoree when he receives the Confidence Award for his work co-founding Kentucky Student Voice. Brennen also co-authored Kentucky HB 236, a bill vying for Kentucky student inclusion. He is pursuing his law degree from Columbia University in the Fall and is a National Geographic Society fellow. Pashtana Durrani (25) will receive the Conviction Award for her courageous work as founder of LEARN Afghanistan to educate girls and women in the country. Durrani has educated 7,000 girls and boys in Kandahar and trained more than 80 teachers in digital literacy. She was previously honored by the Malala Fund and among the BBC 100 and Time 100 influence lists.

Anna Luísa Beserra Santos (25) of Brazil will receive the Dedication award for her work to provide safe drinking water, handwashing, and sanitation to rural families. She is the founder of Sustainable Water and Development for All and a United Nations “Young Champion of the Earth.” Nidhi Pant (30) of India will receive the Giving Award. Pant is the co-founder of S4S Technologies and her work focuses on sustainability and inclusion by empowering women to be climate champions, farmers, and entrepreneurs.

Leon Ford (29) was paralyzed when he was shot by police officers during a traffic stop in Pittsburgh in 2012. He will receive the Respect Award to honor the work of his organization, the Hear Foundation. Through his collaboration with Pittsburgh Police Chief Scott Schubert, Ford’s Hear Foundation tackles issues of gun violence, racial justice, and police reform.

Dr. Daniel Nour (27) will become the first Australian Awardee when he accepts the Spirituality Award. Dr. Nour founded Street Side Medics – a mobile medical service specifically created for people experiencing homelessness.

If you are interested in sponsoring the event or reserving a table for 10, please email Theresa Burridge (tburridge@alicenter.org). Individual tickets will go on sale in September.

To involve the larger Louisville community and introduce them to the 2023 honorees, the Ali Center will hold a public event on November 3rd. More information on that event to follow.

Notes to Media:

Credential requests are now open!

Please submit your information here: https://alicenter.org/awards/media-credential-form/ by Monday, October 30.

Photos of awardees available upon request.

The Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards are made possible through the generous support of Brown-Forman, as well as by travel sponsorships from Louisville Tourism and 21C Museum Hotel, and by all the corporate and individual donors who support this event.

Contact:

Annie Moore

Muhammad Ali Center

amoore@alicenter.org

502.992.5338 or 812.786.1072 mobile

04.18.2023

MEDIA ADVISORY

Ali Center announces exhibit featuring Louisville-area artists

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Muhammad Ali Center is proud to announce a new temporary exhibit, We Don’t Wither, featuring seven local artists. Created to engage our community, We Don’t Wither examines the intersection of art and activism. The artists showcased in this exhibit have created art or chosen from their art pieces that respond to current socio-cultural and socio-political situations, lived experiences, and related current events – to see our world and our community through their unique perspectives.

It is our objective to celebrate the often-unrecognized experiences, opinions, feelings, and perspectives of those who work, create, and fight in our city; to share their artwork and views with our visitors; and to provide a space for conversation and reflection.

Through a rich tapestry of diverse pieces, this exhibition showcases the intersecting and profound role of women artists and women activists, particularly the leadership of BIPOC women, in social justice movements. The lived experiences of these women artists provide a window into the soul of our community—a community deeply wounded by racism and injustice, but a community striving for healing.

The Muhammad Ali Center is proud to share space with these artists and commits to continuing to build community-engaged exhibitions and programs. As you explore each piece, we hope that you will consider and contemplate the responsibility we all share in building a more just and inclusive Louisville for all.

We Don’t Wither is NOW OPEN at the Muhammad Ali Center and FREE with the price of admission. It will run now through December 18, 2023.

As artist Joanne Weis quotes, “Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It’s a relationship between equals. Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others. Compassion becomes real when we recognize our shared humanity.” – Pema Chödrön

Artists + Artist Statements

Marlesha S. Woods (Multimedia)

LaNia Robers (Painter)

Joanne Weis (Textiles)

Morgan McGill (Painter)

Shauntrice Martin (Multimedia/sculpture)

Nikki Douglas (Collage)

Amadea Schenck (Multimedia and graphic design)

Artist: LaNia Roberts
Medium: Paint
Artist Statement:

Self portraiture in my work is used as a way to create ownership over my own image. Growing up never seeing images of plus-size people, especially black women portrayed through a lens of love and power, I often felt invisible and disempowered. When I created my first self portrait at the age of 16, it was the first moment I ever looked at myself through a lens of curiosity and love rather than a learned lens of hate and discouragement. In this series of self portraits I am painting myself enveloped with water, inspired by the autobiographical exploration in David Hockney’s Swimming Pool series, and the place in time in my own life when I was learning how to let go and surrender to the flow of life.

Artist: Shauntrice Martin
Medium: Multimedia and Sculpture
Artist Statement:

Chahta Noir is my artistic reality. This Gateway series is the culmination of years of research across African and Indigenous inspired journeys through my heritage. The pieces I created for this series are a prelude to my evolution. I am the daughter of Shauntee who was the daughter of Gladys who was the daughter of Willie B. who was the daughter of Beadie who was the daughter of Lillie. Every line is libation for my lineage. This collection is veneration to those who came before me. My mother’s sporadic endowment of creativity and hustle are deeply embedded in my portfolio. It’s giving uninhibited joy.

Artist: Joanne Weis
Medium: Textile
Artist Statement:

Artists invited to participate in this exhibition at the Muhammed Ali Center are asked to create art from our unique perspectives and encouraged to create work that respond to socio-cultural or socio-political situations, lived experiences and current events.

My perspective: I am an older white woman, raised in an Irish immigrant community, a social worker who was able to focus on art as I retired, always a wife, mother and now a grandmother.

To help clarify what that means, I embrace a statement on aging by Tracie Ellis Ross: As I get older, the more I stay focused on the acceptance of myself and others, and choose compassion over judgment and curiosity over fear.

To more clearly express compassion and curiosity, I went to Brené Brown’s writing, a social worker and author who bases her writings on solid research. Here is her insight:

Compassion is not the relationship between the healer and the wounded … Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present to the darkness of others.

Curiosity is a component of courageous leadership, …. recognizing a gap in our knowledge … and closing that gap through exploration and learning.

The invitation to participate in this exhibition encouraged us to ask a question and for me that question became “what can I do to take action in the face of suffering”. In response, I explored four concerns that are personal to me and that I view as significant social justice issues:

Racism, both generally and with the Louisville specific death of Breonna Taylor.
Addiction, reaching epidemic levels in Louisville and Kentucky.
Literacy – Children not able to read at grade level as a result of the pandemic and adults not able to read.
Floyd’s Fork as an example of disregard for the environment.
As an older white woman and as an artist, I have taken actions that are possible for me in each of these areas and will continue to do so to whatever level I am able because I WON’T WITHER.

Artist: Morgan McGill
Medium: Paint
Artist Statement:

What enables us to think beyond each of our own finite belief systems…and is it necessary to do so?

After deconstructing fragmented belief patterns fundamental to Christian purity culture, Morgan McGill pivoted her focus to collage, using this medium to challenge the ease with which our most sacred beliefs are connected to power structures. Her art creates allies of contemporary collage and historic fresco patterns, inspiring compositions that assemble the two harmoniously. Pigment provides moments of static while overlapping symbols and layers remark upon the human experience of transformation. The outcome is a mosaic of translucent patterns that engages the viewer to bear witness to juxtaposing elements that do not fit inside a frame.

Artist: Nikki Douglas
Medium: Collage
Artist Statement:

I have always been obsessed with music and its ability to transport us to a moment in time or a memory by lyrics. Through my pieces, I strive to captivate the viewer by the usage of song lyrics with analog collage. I am inspired by emotions and daily life, as well as the music piece itself and its context. With my art I strive to challenge assumptions, tell my story, and create positive change through exploring collective experiences shared through music. I hope my art can serve as a catalyst for meaningful connections between people.

Artist: Amadea Schenk
Medium: Multimedia, Graphic Design
Artist Statement:

Men take things out of my hands. Once it was my favorite drafting pencil, a workhorse that I worked out until it snapped in two. I had just peeled back the edge of a roll of electrical tape when my employer appeared, snatched the Pentel and tape out of my hands and said, “Let me help you with that.” I watched in horror as he sloppily wound layer upon layer upon layer of black plastic tape around the aluminum shaft until it was a bulky, sticky mess. He handed it back with a satisfied smile and walked away. I stood there, with a worse-than-broken pencil and the all too familiar sensation of having had something taken from me by someone who thought they knew what I needed better than I did. My work for this show addresses this phenomenon – what I call “unsolicited help” – and explores how seemingly benign behaviors can serve to reinforce gendered power dynamics and disempower women. This unsolicited help ranges from physical intervention (such as the helpful mutilation of my pencil), to unnecessary explanations (“well, actually…”), to unwanted advice on how to be more attractive (”smile more”) or less unattractive (”be…quieter”). I have used a combination of illustration, fiber art, and found object curation to create a visual representation of my experience of being interrupted, doubted, and dismissed in my creative, professional, and personal life simply because I am a woman. I hope that it will resonate with others who have had similar experiences. This is an “I see you” to everyone who has received unsolicited help, as well as a call to action, inviting viewers to reflect on their own behaviors and the ways in which they may be perpetuating harmful gender norms. By amplifying the voices of women and challenging existing power structures, we can work toward a future where everyone is free to learn from their experiences, and to ask for help when they actually need it.

Artist: Marlesha S. Woods
Medium: Multimedia
Artist Statement:

Marlesha S. Woods will share her collection, Enter with Courage Handle with Care, accompanied with a digital learning guide that will launch in mid April; to personally hear the artist’s heart behind the work. The work draws from Marlesha’s personal story, matriarchal anecdotes, and honors the narrative of the late Mrs. Ada Doss Campbell, a Black woman that died from professional medical neglect during the 1940s. While incorporating multimedia including acrylic paint, textiles, and plants grown in the artist’s own garden. Marlesha states, ”My desire for those that choose to engage with my art, is to be as intentional as I was through the art-making process. I welcome each community member as a participant and not a voyeur. Take a look and then look again. Observe the work, dive into the color-play, rhythm, broken lines, mergers of styles, layered textures, movement and emotions. Art is a vehicle to travel our minds to what is, what was, and what can be. If you notice the tightly crowded paintings or the crooked glaring canvas askew, know that I will hang the triptych painting, “Mending Fences” upright when the fence of the Colored section of the unmarked graves located at E.P.Tom Sawyer State Park, stewarded by Central State Hospital are mended. What is broken can be mended and we are waiting.” Marlesha’s context for this body of work illuminates human erasure, medical racism, disparities and place to name a few. In the words of the artist, “we are sacred.”

03.21.23

MEDIA ADVISORY

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Muhammad Ali Center is proud to announce it is one of 56 institutions in the United States selected to participate in the Collections Assessment for Preservation (CAP) program.

CAP helps museums improve the care of their collection by providing support for a general conservation assessment of the museum’s collections and buildings. The museum is working with a team of preservation professionals to identify preventive conservation priorities. The final assessment report will help the museum prioritize its collections care efforts in the coming years.

“We take the responsibility of housing and conserving our collection seriously,” Senior Director of Education and Curation Erin Herbert said. “Our participation in this program is a significant step to ensure that Muhammad Ali’s legacy is preserved for generations to come.”

The CAP program is administered by the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation through a cooperative agreement with the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

# # #

About the Muhammad Ali Center

The Muhammad Ali Center is a multicultural center with an award-winning museum dedicated to justice for all, following in the footsteps of Muhammad Ali. The Center’s mission is to mobilize Muhammad Ali’s legacy to foster respect, inspire generations of changemakers, and advance social justice.

In its 17-year history, the Center has created programs that exemplify the principles of Muhammad Ali and the mission of the Center. Over the past decade, the Center has developed impactful programming serving children and adults, reaching people of all cultures, nationalities, ages, and geographic areas. Inspiration is Ali’s gift, and his six core principles mark his true legacy—a legacy that has the power to live on, beyond the man, and beyond the walls of the Center.

About FAIC

The Foundation for Advancement in Conservation saves cultural heritage for future generations, protecting it from decay and destruction. Learn more about FAIC at www.culturalheritage.org/foundation.

About IMLS

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s libraries and museums. We advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. Our vision is a nation where museums and libraries work together to transform the lives of individuals and communities. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

03.08.23

MEDIA ADVISORY

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Today we learned from federal officials that LMPD unfairly and unjustly policed Louisville’s community, especially the Black community. The Department of Justice report clearly states LMPD officials routinely targeted Black and vulnerable Louisvillians and subjected them to a pattern and practice violating their constitutional rights. Violations included but are not limited to physical violence, racial epithets, profiling, and the use of submission and fear to oppress and harm members of the Louisville community. The investigation found officers violated the rights of children, people with disabilities, and victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

We acknowledge these issues did not begin when Breonna Taylor was killed in her home. Rather, her death was a horrific and unnecessary result of these unjust systems and a pattern of unconstitutional policing. Courageous citizens who filled our streets after her death ‘saying her name’ were right. Today’s report validates the countless cries for reform and justice brought forth for decades by citizens of Louisville.

The Muhammad Ali Center echoes Mayor Greenberg’s demand for action and affirms our commitment to work alongside community members and government officials as we build a stronger Louisville that protects the dignity and rights of all. The Center will take action to advance the work of ensuring policing systems are not a force of oppression and racism. We’ve already been in contact with Louisville’s elected officials to express our sustained commitment to this work and our intention to hold our leaders accountable. We can do better. We can be better. Louisville can be the city Muhammad always imagined it to be.

In the words of Muhammad Ali, the Center that bears his name and boldly carries his legacy forward makes this pledge:

“In your struggle for freedom, justice, and equality, I am with you.” – Muhammad Ali

02.27.23

MEDIA ADVISORY

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Muhammad Ali Center in partnership with global charity, Made by Dyslexia, is holding the first ever in-person Learn Dyslexia Training event in the United States at the Muhammad Ali Center on March 4 at 10 a.m..

One in five people in the world are dyslexic, including the Greatest of All Time, Muhammad Ali. And he is not alone, JFK, Richard Branson, Whoopi Goldberg, Agatha Christie and Steve Jobs have all lived with the learning difference which impacts more than 1.7 billion people in the world today.

However, dyslexia is not always spotted or supported in schools. Made By Dyslexia is on a mission asking the world to take a day to Learn Dyslexia to empower every school and teacher to spot, support and empower every dyslexic learner in the classroom.

The Muhammad Ali Center in-person training event will be led by the Chair of the International Dyslexia Association, Josh Clark. He will share evidence-based strategies from the world’s leading dyslexic specialist schools to help every teacher to create inclusive classrooms so dyslexic thinking thrives.

The session will provide invaluable insight into dyslexia for parents and teachers, using Made By Dyslexia’s Learn Dyslexia training, which is free on Microsoft’s Learn platform. Attendees will learn how simple changes in the classroom can make a huge difference for dyslexic children—and what helps dyslexic children, helps all children.

Green Bay Packers Linebacker Rashan Gary and the Founder and CEO of Made by Dyslexia, Kate Griggs will headline the national participants in the program. They’ll be joined by representatives of Louisville and the Commonwealth of Kentucky including Deputy Mayor Barbara Sexton Smith, Lee A. Gill, J.D.. University of Louisville Vice President for Diversity Equity and Inclusion, Representative Tina Bojankowski and Dr. John Gregory (KY Dept. of Education).

This exciting event builds upon New York City becoming the first city in the US to train all 100,000 public school teachers to Learn Dyslexia. The aim of the event in Louisville, in partnership with Made By Dyslexia, on March 4th is to start the journey of Kentucky becoming the first state in the US to train all its teachers to create inclusive classrooms for all.

The Muhammad Ali Center is proud to partner on this important work to ensure more learners everywhere can reach their Greatness.

Agenda:

9:30 AM – Guest Arrival

10:00 AM – Welcome and Remarks by Ali Center President and CEO, Marilyn Jackson and video message from Mrs. Lonnie Ali

10:10 AM – Opening Remarks – Made by Dyslexia CEO, Kate Griggs and video message from Sir Richard Branson

10:20 AM – Zoom with Rashan Gary NFL Green Bay Packers, and his Mom Jennifer –

10.45-12:45 PM – Training Workshop – Introduced and facilitated by Josh Clark, Chair of IDA (international Dyslexia Association), Made By Dyslexia advisor, and Head of Landmark School.

12:45 PM – Boxed Lunches Served (Guests will eat during public officials’ remarks)

1:00-1:45 PM – Remarks by public officials including: Video of NYC Mayor Adams, Dr. Lee Gill, Diane Porter (Chair of the Board, Louisville Public Schools), Representative Tina Bojankowski, and Dr. John Gregory (KY Dept. of Education).

1:45 PM—Closing Remarks by Made By Dyslexia and Ali Center

About the Muhammad Ali Center

The Muhammad Ali Center is a multicultural center with an award-winning museum dedicated to justice for all, following in the footsteps of Muhammad Ali. The Center. Their mission is to mobilize Muhammad Ali’s legacy to foster respect, inspire generations of changemakers, and advance social justice.

In its 17-year history, the Center has created programs that exemplify the principles of Muhammad Ali and the mission of the Center. Over the past decade, the Center has

developed impactful programming serving children and adults, reaching people of all cultures, nationalities, ages, and geographic areas. Inspiration is Ali’s gift, and his six core principles mark his true legacy—a legacy that has the power to live on, beyond the man, and beyond the walls of the Center.

Made By Dyslexia

Made By Dyslexia is a global charity, led by successful dyslexics. We’ve built the world’s largest community of dyslexic people and our allies. Our purpose is to help the world to Learn Dyslexia: to understand, to value it and to support it. Our mission is to train every teacher and help every workplace to spot, support and empower every dyslexic mind. This mission is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and we aim to achieve this by 2030. Our bold campaigns, events, and game-changing partnerships have redefined dyslexia, inspiring a global movement for change and resulted in Dyslexic Thinking being added as a skill on LinkedIn and as a noun in the dictionary.

Learn Dyslexia

There are 7.753 billion people on earth. And 1 in 5 of them are dyslexic. Their skills are recognised by the World Economic Forum as the skills every workplace needs. But these skills are not spotted or supported in our schools. That’s why Made By Dyslexia is calling for every school across the world to #TakeADayForDyslexia and #Learn Dyslexia using our FREE online training. One single day is all it takes to complete all 3 levels of our training. But it’s enough to change a child’s life. And for us to change the world.

Kate Griggs, Founder & CEO of Made By Dyslexia

British social entrepreneur, author, founder and CEO of charity Made By Dyslexia, Kate Griggs has been shifting the narrative on dyslexia and educating people on its strengths since 2004. Dyslexic herself, and having been surrounded by an extraordinary ‘smorgasbord of Dyslexic Thinking’ her whole life, Griggs knows the superpower of dyslexia all too well. She has written 2 best-selling books on Dyslexic Thinking, published by Penguin.

Contact:

Annie Moore
Muhammad Ali Center
amoore@alicenter.org
502.992.5338

01.10.23

MEDIA ADVISORY

Two days of celebrating Greatness and Black Leadership highlighted by free admission, student civil leadership forum, community needs assessment.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Muhammad Ali Center will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Muhammad Ali’s Birthday – on January 16 and 17 respectively, with two days of programming and education fitting these two pillars of the civil rights movement.

In partnership with the American Red Cross, the Association for Teaching Black History in Kentucky, and the Consortium for Anti-Racist Teaching, the Ali Center will host a full day of in-museum programming on Monday, January 16.

Admission to the Center will be free to all on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a great opportunity for the community to come, learn, and help us continue the legacy. Dr. King’s I Have A Dream speech will be shown for free at the top of each hour. Doors to the Center will open early, at 11:30 a.m. to allow people to arrive on time for the 12 p.m. programming. Following the 12 p.m. screening, a panel of seven Muhammad Ali Center Council of Students will speak on carrying forward Dr. King’s Dream and Muhammad Ali’s legacy in a forum hosted by the MAC.

“We are still learning from Muhammad Ali and Dr. King, and these are special days where we hope people will come join us in community and talk about carrying forward their important work,” said Muhammad Ali Center President and CEO Marilyn Jackson. “Our MACCS panel will give voice to the young leaders following in Dr. King and Muhammad’s footsteps, and our educational resources and training will help mold even more young minds towards social justice.”

Monday’s programming begins with an American Red Cross blood drive on the first floor of the Center, as well as professional development led by the ATBH-KY in View Pointe Hall. Teachers can sign up for the professional development here.

Muhammad’s birthday, January 17, falls on a Tuesday, when the Center is closed to the public. But, there are still opportunities for the community to join in celebrating the day and carrying forward his life’s work. The Muhammad Ali Center education department compiled lesson plans for students K-12 that can be accessed from the Ali Center website.

In addition to educator resources, Muhammad’s birthday will launch the I Love Ali’s Louisville Community Impact Survey. This survey is an outgrowth of the Strategic Plan that the MAC launched in July, which conveys a vision for growing strategic partnerships between the Center and the Louisville community. Community members will have an opportunity to share their insight into how the Ali Center can better serve the Champ’s hometown.

“The Muhammad Ali Center could have been anywhere in the world, but Muhammad chose Louisville because he believed in his hometown,” said Senior Director of Education & Curation Erin Herbert. “In that spirit, we’re looking for feedback from the Louisville community on how we can work together to make Ali’s Louisville the best it can be.”

The community impact survey will be available at alicenter.org and will be distributed throughout the community through early 2023.

Summary of Janunary 16 Public Events:

11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. – American Red Cross Blood Drive
11:30 a.m. – 4:15 p.m. – FREE admission to the Muhammad Ali Center
12 p.m. – First I Have a Dream screening, followed by MACCS panel
1-4 p.m. – Hourly screenings of I Have a Dream speech

Contact:

Annie Moore
Muhammad Ali Center
amoore@alicenter.org
502.992.5338 or 812.786.1072 mobile