Exactly ten years ago today, I had the honor of witnessing Muhammad Ali’s hometown funeral procession in Louisville, Kentucky. Although I never had the pleasure of meeting him in person, when I woke up on the morning of June 4, 2016 to hear the news of his passing, I was deeply saddened and grieved as if one of my immediate family members had transitioned.

I grew up watching Ali — boxing, on the news, and as a guest who appeared on various television shows — and held a deep sense of pride and admiration for who he was and how he represented not only himself, but my hometown city of Louisville, Kentucky. My mother and father both attended Louisville’s Central High School while he was also a student there, and my dad had incorporated all of Ali’s iconic, signature phrases and gestures into a unique expression of his own personality. Watching Ali’s boxing matches while chomping on freshly popped popcorn as a young girl has become a cherished memory of time spent with my dad.

So, when Louisville celebrated his homecoming after his passing, I made time to attend a portion of the 19-mile, 17-car memorial procession through the streets of Louisville to honor his memory and his legacy. After playing hooky from work for a few hours to pay my respects, I returned home and immediately wrote the following piece (now lightly edited) in honor of him.

A Moment of Reflection: June 10, 2016

Muhammad Ali. Call him what you want — draft dodger, racist, The Champ, the G.O.A.T. Some even say he was worshiped as if he was God. I guess it all depends on the lens through which you view the world and filter your own life experiences.

I call him Love. And, well, isn’t God Love?

I mean, did you see it? Did you see how Ali demanded we see the love in one another? Did you see how the bees, the perfect weather, the citizens of Louisville, the police, the politicians, the various religions, ethnicities and races, the haves and the have-nots, and thousands of people from all over the globe gathered to cooperate in a harmonious symphony to celebrate the gift Ali was to the world?

Think about it. Ali loved his hometown city of Louisville, Kentucky even though, at times, the city did not exactly love him back. Lately, Louisville has been ripping itself apart physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually. The homicide rate has been steadily climbing to an all-time record high as the pressure of years socioeconomic issues which have been neglected and ignored find a chaotic outlet in frustrated, angry, disenfranchised, underrepresented youth. It seems as if every other day, there’s a shooting somewhere in the West End of town (the area of town where Ali grew up). The social media comment section of these troubling news stories are filled with hate and vitriol reminiscent of times not so long ago.

On a broader scale, the current political climate threatens to end friendships, divide families, and sever business ties. Louisville, the country, and the world is currently in the fight of its life. It seems like fear and hate has us on the ropes and is setting us up for the final knockout punch.

Call it a Comeback!

Ali was a fighter in and out of the ring. Not only did he fight some of the greatest boxers in history, he also fought racism, injustice, inequality, and finally — Parkinson’s disease. Even though Parkinson’s threatened to dim his shining light, he’d always manage to raise a defiant fist and flash a version of his charming, mischievous smile.

Family and friends will half jokingly tell you that Ali was always planning a comeback. This was the case even as his body slowly succumbed to the debilitating effects of Parkinson’s disease.

On June 10, 2016, The Champ made the greatest come back of all time. Not only did he return home to to be celebrated and memorialized in the city he loved, he came back off of the ropes of fear, division, and hatred — and, being The People’s Champ he was — he brought us all back with him. This was the ULTIMATE rope-a-dope!

In a display of love and unity I have never witnessed before in my lifetime, the City of Louisville came together to celebrate Ali’s contribution to humanity. We overcame our differences by focusing on love. Ali conquered fear and hate by bringing people from all over the world of all faiths, all races, and all stations in life together. WHAT A COMEBACK!

I can hear him now…

“See? I told you I was the greatest!”

Ten Years Later: 6/10/2026

Life often presents us with challenges and complex dilemmas that require us to make difficult choices and decisions which may have long-lasting consequences. This is the training ground for the kind of fighter we chose to be in the boxing ring of life.

Ali was a man who was not afraid to stand proudly in his truth and be exactly who he came here to be — no matter what it cost him personally or professionally. He refused to compromise his principles or abandon his inner truth for the sake of convenience or acceptance, and he never stuttered, muttered, or hung his head in shame when asked why he felt a certain way or made an unpopular choice and stood by it. As a fellow Aquarian (Ali’s Moon placement was in Aquarius), I admire all these qualities and completely relate to and embrace the “rebel with a cause” energy — although I have yet to reach the level of mastery he was able to achieve.

May we all summon the inner strength and courage to become our most authentic selves, no matter the costs us or what it looks like to the rest of the world. May we all access, cultivate, and exude that deep, unapologetic level of self love that ignites something deep within not only ourselves, but also one another. Let that energy spread through our collective consciousness like wildfire.

May we all discover our inner G.O.A.T.