I admit that the famous boxer Muhammad Ali doesn't have many links to Abraham Lincoln (other than both were born in Kentucky), but I found this picture via the Associated Press and find it to be very moving.
"The Greatest" was given this bust of Lincoln at the first Bluegrass Inaugural Ball on January 19, 2009 in Washington. Ali is sadly silenced these days by Parkinson's disease (and no doubt too many fights), but he still is a symbol of power and grace for humanity. My statement might be controversial for some, but I am an unabashed fan of Ali and am old enough to have watched his matches.
Since this is my blog, I can post about a cool photo featuring two of my favorite people of all time.
5 comments:
The bust that was given to the Champ was by the noted sculptor Robert Berks. The origianal, I believe, is in the lobby of the Kentucky State Museum in Frankfort, KY.
Another Lincoln bust by Berks is located in the Visitors Center at the Lincoln Birthplace outside Hodgenville, KY.
The two Greatest.
Geoff,
My dad actually ran into Ali in an airport a few years ago (O'Hare, I think). Dad knows no strangers, so he went up and introduced himself. Ali asked Dad his name and even repeated it to make sure he had it correctly. He shook hands and posed for a picture with my father. Dad said his hands are just as huge as they look.
Ali moved onto a higher plane for me that day, as he took time to make an 80-something great-grandpa from Illinois as excited as a little kid.
Ann
I know that Ali is a controversial figure for many people, but I think that has abated somewhat over time.
Thank you for sharing your comments about the Champ.
Ann, Ali is the one living person I would most like to meet. What a wonderful story about how kind he was to your dad.
What a moving picture - thanks so much for sharing!
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