In a heartwarming nod to heritage and history, Maryum Ali honored both her father Muhammad Ali's legacy and a local mosque's 50th anniversary in the Chicago suburb. Villa Park's Islamic Foundation School celebrated by renaming its athletic center after the legendary boxer and activist. Ali's eldest daughter took center stage, engaging with students and talking about her children's book, "I Shook Up The World", which details her father's journey through life's hits and misses. "I wrote this book because my father was also an inspiration to me," she told the young audience, as reported by the Chicago Tribune.
Further embellishing Ali's impact, the school's athletic director, Ali Abuhlaleh, expressed the significance of Ali not only as a boxing icon but a Muslim leader. "Our Muslim students now have a role model to follow," said Abuhlaleh in a statement obtained by the Chicago Tribune. He shared his belief that the new name for the facility will inspire students and might even spark a newfound passion for the sport of boxing.
Simultaneously, Illinois celebrated its inaugural Muhammad Ali Day in commemoration of the would-have-been 80th birthday of "The Greatest." Setting the stage for remembrance, legislators elected January 17 as a day to honor the boxer's profound legacy of civil justice and resistance. According to ABC 7 Chicago, events included dialogues on hope and conviction, workshops, and a special guest appearance by Maryum Ali.
Ali's stance as a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War, his conviction for draft evasion, and his ensuing ban from boxing laid the groundwork for his involvement in civil rights and the Nation of Islam. His deep roots in Chicago, where he lived from the 1960s till the late 1970s, were honored by Reverend Jesse Jackson who provided opening remarks, celebrating both Ali and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s enduring legacies. As Maryum Ali told the Chicago Tribune, the lesson of patience and faith in God's plan remains a cornerstone of her father's story, one she passionately shares with young minds looking to understand the champ's life beyond the ring.
