Laying the Foundation for Change: Muhammad Ali & the Civil Rights Movement
Muhammad's replacement Gold Medal that he received at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.
On loan from Lonnie Ali since 2005.
First-Hand Discrimination
During Ali's time at Central High School, protests against Jim Crow were rising in Louisville, a highly segregated city. In 1960, after graduating from Central, Ali went on to compete in the Olympic Games, which took place in Rome, Italy, earning a Gold Medal in light-heavyweight boxing. He proudly wore it often upon his return to Louisville. Despite proudly showing off his well-earned medal and being celebrated by the city upon his return, Ali was still denied service at a restaurant in downtown Louisville because of the color of his skin. This first-hand experience of discrimination caused Ali to reflect on how a symbol of American pride still did not warrant equality as a Black man in the United States. In the following year, 1961, Ali began a quiet association with the Nation of Islam. In 1962, Ali would begin his brief, yet impactful friendship with Malcolm X. This significant relationship would allow Muhammad the opportunity to learn from a great oratory speaker and and would teach him to stand strong in his convictions.
