Peace, brother. Peace. On behalf of friends and the Indigenous People everywhere, peace. Thank you. [applause] we introduced chief hill. His words were translated by chief oren lyons was born into a traditional indian family, grew up on the reservation of upstate new york in 1970 he became the chief and faith keeper of the turtle clan of the onondaga nation. His scholarships, stewardsships and leadership is a source of benefit and great blessing for all who know him. Now wed like to introduce rabbi joe rooks rapport. Senior rabbi of the temple here in louisville. He has been a leader in interfaith worth. He has a passion for teachen worth, and his work with youth led him to cross paths with muhammad ali. His religious theatership focuses on compassion, care, and working together with all to build a better world. Rabbi. [applause] this is a reading from our memorial prayer on yom kippur. Our day of atonement. Most sacred day of the year. It was written many decades ago by a civil rights and humanitarian leader who could never hasnt known when he composed these words that he was writing a eulogy for muhammad ali. Birth is the beginning. And death, a destination. Life is a journey. From childhood to maturity. Youth to age. From innocence to awareness. And ignorance to knowing. From foolishness to disdiscretion, and then perhaps to wisdom. From weakness to strength. From strength to weakness, and often back again. From health, to sickness. Back we pray to health again. From offense to forgiveness. From loneliness to love. From joy to gratitude. And pain to compassion. From grief to understanding. From fear to faith. From defeat, the defeat, defeat, until looking backward and ahead we see that victory lies not at some high place along the way but in having made the downy, stage by stage, a sacred pilgrimage. Birth at the beginning and death, a destination. And life is a journey. A sacred pilgrimage to life everlasting. We say words of prayer and they remain words until we encounter a person who embodies these words and makes them real. Ive said these words many times before. At funerals and in memorial services. But never have i felt them come to life and speak of a single shining soul as i do today. Muhammad ali was the heart of this city. The living, breathing, embodiment of the greatest that we can be. He was our heart. And that heart beats here still. [cheers and applause] let me tell you a story you already know. One of those stories about ali being gracious to a stranger that so many of us have told so many times, and in so many ways, that we sometimes forget the lessons the stories were intended to teach us. The story hannah tells about her father towards the end of their book, the soul of the butterfly. Hannahs driving her father to a book store on one sunday to pick up bibles and korans for a project he is working on. They pass an elderly man standing by the road with a bible in one hand and his thumb in the air with the other. They offer him a ride. And he thanks them, saying that he is on his way home from church. Hell need to go a few miles down the street where he can pick up a cab. Hannah asked where he lived. He doesnt want to trouble them or go out of their way. He has no idea who is sitting in the front seat of this car. Until muhammad ali turned around and says, its no trouble at all. Were just on our way to a book store to buy some bibles and korans. Once the man gets over meeting the greatest or alltime, he insists that he has three bibles in his house, and he would be pleased to give them to ali in appreciation for the ride. Ali thanks him but says he wants to pay for the bibles. The man says, no, the bibles were meant as a gift. Ali asked him what he does for a living, and turns out the man had a stroke and has been forced into retirement. Ali then tries to hand him a big pile of money for the bibles. The man refuses, and this is where things get interesting. Ali says, take the money, man, im trying to get into heaven. And the man replies, so am i. [laughter] ali is not taking no for an answer. He says, if you dont take the money i might not get in. And the man replies, if i do take your money i might not get in. They arrive at his home and the man invites them in to meet his wife of 30 years. He gives ali the bibles. Ali slips the money under a napkin on the kitchen table. Theyre about to leave, and hannah gives the man her phone number and tells him to call her if he ever needs a ride home from church again. Sitting in the car, ali turns to his daughter and asks, would you really go out of your way and pick him up and drive him home . And she said, yes. And with tears in his eye, he says, thats me in you. [applause] he says, youre on the road to heaven. Therein lies alis greatness. His ability to see within himself something greater, and in his ability to inspire others to see such greatness within themselves. There will never be another greatest like muhammad ali. But we together can now embody a measure of his kindness and his compassion. We can say each of us in our hearts that theres a little bit of ali in me. [applause] this week, we have mourned the loss and celebrated the life of a louisville legend and a citizen of the world. And of all the words and all the ways, the most powerful moments have all always been made in the voices of young people, repeated in Prayer Services and canted in chance in the streets i am ali. I am ali. I am not the fighter that ali was. And i may not have the courage which he never lacked. And i am definitely not as pretty. But in my heart, and in my hope, and in any prayers, i am muhammad ali. [applause] when we say that in our hearts, when we live that in our lives, then we together can build a legacy worthoff 0 the greatest or alltime. So say that now with me. In your heart and in this room. I am ali. I am ali. [applause] one of the Amazing Things we have witnessed during our time here in louisville has been just so many stories of common, ordinary people. Folks on the street, working in the hotels, the restaurants, virtually everyone has a story concerning how muhammad ali touched their lives. He came to my fourth grade class. He helped me out in this or that way. He came to visit me when i was sick. Just on and on and on. And collectively, those experiences become synergy yetic, that it become greater than the individual parts partsd when we rode through the strew streets of the city today, i witnessed something ive never, ever witnessed in my life. And i dont think i will ever witness again. I witnessed the power, and in our muslim tradition loosely translated as sainthood. I witnessed the power of sainthood. Venerable a member of the japanese buddhist order dedicated to working for world peace through the practice of walking peace pilgrimages, antinuclear weapon pilgrimages, and the construction of peace pagodas all over the globe. Will be joined on stage by sister denice, another member of the order, and together they will share a traditional chant with us. [applause] [inaudible conversations] [chanting] [chanting] [chanting] [chanting] [chanting] [chanting] [chanting] [chanting] [chanting] [chanting] [chanting] [chanting] [chanting] [chanting] [chanting] [chanting] [chanting] [applause] [chanting] [chanting] [chanting] [chanting] [applause] now we will listen to a reading by ambassador shabazz. Ambassador shabazz is the eldest of six daughters born to her family. She proudly shares that she is inspired by her parents, their parents, and those before them through the descending generations. The former Prime Minister of belize recognized her as a key ambassador on International Cultural affairs and project development and in 2002 appointed her as ambassador at large. Powerful and elegant. We invite ambassador shabazz to read and share and inspire us. [applause] may peace be on all of us. This is a homegoing celebration, i find myself balanced between that of celebration and depletion. Loss and somehow my breathing capacity has been weakened this past week. So i ask all of you gathered and afar to please muster up and transmit a bit of your air to me. The memory of muhammad ali. Thank you all, gracias, and more as the globe centers at the very moment amidst the holy month of ramadan where every two hours theres a time zone praying and including muhammad ali and his family in their thoughts. Amidst that are the prayers of all faiths, all those touched, even those that dont claim a religion are feeling something right now, in honor of the family and the memory of their father. , husband. And the spirit of my parents, Malcolm X Shabazz and dr. Betty shabazz. In the presence of my five younger sisters, our children, and our grandchildren. I would like to first honor his beloved wife, my sister, lana ali. For all the strength that you know and that resonate beyond, sometimes you do need a little help. No matter how magnificent you are. And indeed those that were with him, that loved him, family members, have seen that. His nine children and i will name them marium, ha shed a da, muhammad, jr. , khalilah. Mia, hannah, layla, and assad, as well as their mothers, and the Third Generation of ali grandchildren who accompany them. From this day and those to calm as we redefine your days with a life without your presence will be very different although memories and all the things that we have that keep them going have touched you differently and that has to be honored and recognized. [applause] just know that when you are the defenders of the presence of someone whose life is filled with principle theres a seed within you so you have cultivate that responsibility as well. [applause] this moment is very meaningful for me to have been amongst those who have been blessed by muhammad himself and a fertile by his wife to take part by sharing a statement during this ceremony. While he and i had a treasured relationship the genesis of his love and the love for my father. [applause] muhammad ali was the last of the return of the bequeathed to me directly by my dad. Somewhere between me turning 18, 19 or 20 they dont think to find me somehow guided by an oath promise to my dad long after him leaving this earth to search for me and they did. Each one remaining in my life until joining the rest of the heavens for lebed humanitarians. This included muhammad ali who my dad loved his little brother 16 years his junior and his and trusted friend. It it was a double take when i came upon him of ones childhood first child and now looking right into his face and you know how he is. From the very moment we found one another it was as if no time had passed at all by the presumptions of division. Despite all the efforts of separation like all of the organized distancing we dove right into all of the quiet yet stated and duly acknowledged basis we could explore and then cover. We cried out loud. His belt, his brief for having not spoken to my dad before he left and then just as loudly we would laugh about the best of stories and stuff that cant be repeated. He was really funny. What was significant as brothers for my father and all the was their ability to discuss openly anything all facets of life, namely the true meaning as men with great responsibility was bestowed to them how to make an equitable difference in the lives of others. The unifying topic and ecumenical face respect for faith, all faith even if belonging to one specific religion or not. The rule of such being the gift of faith itself so in his own words as he wrote we all have the same god. We just serve him differently, rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, oceans all had different names for us. They all contain water. So do religions have different names and yet they all contain truth, truth expressed in different ways and forms and times. It doesnt matter whether youre a muslim, christian or jewish when you believe in god you should believe all people are part of one family. [applause] for if you love god you cant love only some of his children. [applause] his words and certainly ideals shared by both men, love is a mighty thing. Devotion is a mighty thing and truth always rains. Having muhammad ali in my life somehow sustained my dads breath for me just a little while longer. 51 years longer until now. [applause] and i am forever grateful to have loud for me to continue to preserve confidentiality and the comfort of living in louisville kentucky for the past six years. [applause] that was not a plan and mostly for the gift of knowing and loving his wife and children forever forward as my own family , know that. [applause] as the last of the paternity reaches to heaven my heart is rendered ever longingly for that tribe, tribe of purpose, tribe of significance, tribe of competence, tribe of character, tribe of duty, tribe of faith, tribe of service. We must make sure that the principle of men and women like muhammad ali and others who dedicated their very being to assure that you get to recognize your own glory is sustained and passed on like that olympic torch. My dad would often stayed when concluding our parting from another may we meet again in the light of understanding and i say to you with the light of that by any means necessary. [applause] [applause] [applause] ladies and gentlemen representing the president of the United States and mrs. Obama, ms. Valerie jarrett. [applause] good afternoon. On behalf of president obama and mrs. Obama, i wish to express to you their deepest regret that they couldnt be with us here today as we celebrate the extraordinary life of muhammad ali. I first met muhammad ali over 45 years ago through his friendship with my uncle and my uncle would be so touched that his son is a pallbearer here today. Thank you lonnie. [applause] because of my families in action the president and first lady asked me if i would. This tribute to you tend by president obama. It was 1980, an epic of rear was in its twilight. Everybody knew it. Probably including the champ himself. Ali when into one of his final fights and underdog. All of the smart money was on the new Champ Larry Holmes and in the end the oddsmakers were right. A few hours later at 4 00 a. M. After the loss, after the fans have gone home and the sportswriters were writing their final takes, a sportswriter asked a restroom attendant if he would bet on the fight. The man, lack and getting on in years, said he put his money on ali. The writer asked why. Why the man said, why . Because he is muhammad ali. [applause] thats why. [applause] he said mr. Im 72 years old and i owe that man for giving me my dignity. [applause] to lonnie in the ali family, president clinton and an arena full of distinguished guests, you are amazing. [applause] the man we celebrate today is not just a boxer or a poet or an agitator or a man of peace. He was not just a muslim or a black man or a louisville kid though i know you wish that was at louisville, this wonderful city. He was even just the greatest of all time. He was muhammad ali. The whole far greater than the sum of its parts. He was bigger, brighter and more original and influential than just about anyone of his aero. [applause] you couldnt have made them up, and yes he was. Serious. He had fans in every city, every village, every ghetto on the planet. He was feted by foreign heads of state, the beatles, british invasion took a detour to come to him. It seems sometimes that the champ was simply too big for america but i actually think that the world flocked to him and wonder precisely because as he once put it, muhammad ali was america. [applause] brass, defiant, pioneering, joyful, never tired, always game to test the odds. He was our most basic freedom religion, speech, spirit. He embodied our ability to invent ourselves. His life spoke to our slavery and discrimination than journey he traveled help to shock our consciousness and lead us on a roundabout path toward salvation. Like america, he was always very much a work in progress. We do him a disservice to of his story to talk only of floating white butterflies and stinging quite these. Ali was a radical even in a radical of times, aloud and proud and unabashedly passionate voice in a jim crow world. [applause] his jabs knock some sense into us, yes they did pushing us to expand our imagination and to bring others into our understanding. Now there were times when he swung the bat wildly. Thats her right, wound up and accidentally may have robbed the wrong opponent and he was the first to admit that through all his triumphs and failures, ali seem to achieve the sort of enlightenment and inner peace that we are all striving towards. In the 60s when other young men his age were leaving the country to avoid war or jail, he was asked why he didnt join them. He got angry. He said he would never leave. His people and his words are here, the millions struggling for freedom and justice and equality and i can do a lot of help in jail or not, right here in america. [applause] he would have everything stripped from him, his title, standing, his money his passion, very nearly his freedom but ali still chose america. I imagine he knew that only here in this country could be when it all back. So he chose to help protect the union where a descendent of slaves can become the king of the world. [applause] and in the process, in the process lends some dignity to all of us. Mates, porters, students and elderly bathroom attendants and help inspire a young micks kid with a funny name to have the audacity to believe he could be anything, even the president of the United States. [applause] muhammad ali was america. Muhammad ali will always be america. What a man, what a spirit, what a joyous mica full champion. God bless the greatness of ali. God blesses them with and god bless this nation we love. Thank you very much. [applause] [applause] ladies and gentlemen, lonnie ali. [applause] [applause] [chanting] peace be upon you. You know i said something to matt lauer yesterday that i firmly believe muhammad had something to do with all of this , and i think we are right. Thank you all for being here to share in his final farewell to mohammad. On behalf of the ali family but me first recognize our principle celebrant and also doctored timothy gm nod e. [applause] we thank you for your dedication to helping us fulfill mohammads desire for the ceremonies of this past week reflect the traditions of visit islamic faith. As a family we thank the millions of people who through the miracle of social media inspired by their love for mohammad have reached out to us with their prayers. The messages, that came in every language from every corner of the globe. From wherever you are watching now that we have been humbled by your heartfelt expressions of love. It is only fitting that we gather in the city to which mohammad always returned after his great triumph, a city that has grown as mohammad has grown. [applause] mohammad never stopped loving louisville and we know that louisville love to mohammad. [applause] we cannot forget a Louisville Police officer joe aspe martin who embraced the young 12yearold boy in distress when his bicycle was stolen. [applause] he handed Young Cassius clay the keys to a future at doxing. He could scarcely have imagined. America must never forget that when a cop and an innercity kid talk to each other, then miracles can happen. [applause] [applause] some struggle with parkinsons that included his closest advisers. Mohammad indicated that when the end came for him, he wanted us to use his life as a teaching moment for young people, for his country and for the world. In effect he wanted us to remind people who were suffering that he had seen the face of injustice, that he grew up in the segregation and during his early life he was not free to be who he wanted to be but he never became embittered enough to quit or two engages in violence. [applause] it was a time when a young black boy his age could be hung from a tree. Emmett till in muddy mississippi in 1955 whose admitted killer went free. It was a time when mohammads friends meant that he admired like rather malcolm, dr. King were kind gunned down and Nelson Mandela in prison for what believed in. [applause] for his part, muhammad face federal prosecution. He was stripped of his title and is licensed to box and he was sentenced to prison but he would not be intimidated so as to abandon his principles and his values. [applause] muhammad wants young people of every background to see his life as proof that diversity can make you stronger. It cannot rob you of the power to dream and to reach your dreams. We built the Muhammad Ali Center ali center and that is the essence of the ali center message. [applause] muhammad wants us to see the face of his religion, ill is long, true islam is the face of love. Was his religion that caused him to turn away from war and violence for his religion he was prepared to sacrifice all that he had and all that he was to protect his soul and follow the teachings of prophet muhammad, peace be upon you. [applause] so even in death muhammad has something to say. He is saying that his faith required that he take the more difficult road. It is far more difficult to sacrifice oneself in the name of these then to take up arms in the pursuit of islands. [applause] you know all of his life muhammad was fascinated by travel. He was childlike in his encounter with new surroundings and new people. He took his World Championship fight to the ends of the earth from the South Pacific to europe, to the congo and of course with muhammad he believed it was his duty to let everyone see him in person because after all he was the greatest of all time. [applause] the boy from grand avenue and louisville, kentucky grew in his wisdom when he discovered something new, that the world really wasnt lacquered white at all. It was filled with many shades of rich colors, languages and religions and as he moved with these around the world the rich and powerful were drawn to him but he was drawn to the poor and the forgotten. [applause] muhammad fell in love with the masters and he fell in love with him. In the diversity of men and their faith, muhammad saw the presence of god. He was captivated at the work of the dalai lama, by mother theresa and Church Workers who gave their lives to protect the poor. When his mother died the range for multiple faiths to be represented at her funeral and he wanted the same for himself. We are especially grateful for the presence of the diverse faith leaders here today and i would like to ask them to stand once more and be recognized. [applause] thank you very much. [applause] [applause] as i reflect on the life of my husband, its easy to see his most obvious talents. His majesty and the ring as he danced under those lights enshrined him as a champion for the ages. Less obvious was his extraordinary sense of timing, his knack for being in the right place at the right time seemed to be ordained by a higher power even though surrounded by jim crow, he was born into a family with two parents that nurtured and it encouraged him. He was placed on the path of the streams by a white cop and he had teachers who understood his dreams and wanted him to succeed olympic gold medal came in the world started to notice. A group of successful businessmen in louisville and louisville called a Louisville Sponsoring Group saw his intention and helped him build a runway to launch his career. His timing was impeccable as he burst onto the National Stage just as television was hungry for a star to change the face of sports. You know if muhammad didnt like the rules, he rewrote them. His religion, his name, his beliefs were his to fashion a matter what the cost. The timing of his actions coincided with the broader shift in cultural attitudes across america particularly on college campuses. When he challe. Discontent on the war. Public opinion shifted in his direction followed by a Unanimous Supreme Court ruling and a stunning reversal. [applause] he was free to return to the ring. When he traveled to Central Africa to reclaim his title from George Foreman none of the sportswriters thought he could win. In fact most of them eared for his life but in what the africans called a miracle at 4 00 a. M. He became a champion once more. [applause] and as the years passed muhammad was compelled by his faith to use his name and his notoriety to support the victims of poverty and strife. He served as a messenger of peace and travel to places like wartorn afghanistan. He campaigned as an advocate for third world debt. He stunned the world when he secured the release of 15 hostages from iraq. [applause] as his voice grew softer, his message he came full circle with the people of this country. When he bit a torch that seem to create good light and the 1996 olympics. [applause] muhammad instinctively knew he lived in the moment. He neither dwelt in in the past or harbored anxiety about the future. Muhammad love to laugh and he loves to play practical jokes on just about everybody. He was surefooted in a selfawareness, secure in his faith that he did not fear death. Yet his timing is once again poignant. His passing in meaning for our time should not be overlooked. As we face uncertainty in the world of division at home as to who we are as a people, muhammads life provides useful guidance. Muhammad was not one to give up on the power of understanding, the boundless possibilities of love and the strength of our diversity. He counted among his friends people of all political persuasions, such truth in all faith and the nobility of all races as witnessed here today. Muhammad may have challenged his government but he never ran from it or from america. [applause] he loved his country and he understood the hard choices that are born to freedom. I think he saw a nation full measured by the soul of its people. For his part he saw the good soul and every one and if you are one of the lucky ones to have met him you know what i meant. He awoke every morning singing about his own salvation and he would often say, i just want to get to heaven and ive got to do a lot of good eats to get there. I think muhammads hope is that his life provides some guidance on how we might achieve for all people what we aspire for ourselves and our families. Thank you. [applause] [applause] ladies and gentlemen, maryum ali. [applause] peace be with you everyone here and on behalf of the ali family, i just want to say thank you to louisville, kentucky. All the love you have shown us in our lives has been unbelievable crud also want to thank the entire globe. My father loved all over. The processional today was overwhelming but it was so beautiful. I just want to say we love you just like you love us. Thank you very much. [applause] as you know my father was always rhyming and promoting his fights and he had spiritual poems and poems that promote and i just wrote a piece for him and honor of him on behalf of my sisters and brothers and everyone who loves my father. Its called think you are dear father. My heart was sore when your spirit soared. Your physical body is no more but my mind tells the different tales of all that you taught me, your family and the masses. Most importantly the belief in god who created humanity. You fight for a purpose to uphold the principle that we as a people have divine human rights, staring right into the eyes of oppression you proclaimed your beautiful complexion. Your godgiven skills, your independent will and the freedom of your faith. As your daughter, i am grateful for all of our conversations about then, women and relationships guiding me to first have a loving relationship with self, or refusing anyone to chip away my and expects the respect of a queen. [applause] thank you our dear father for asking us to think about our purpose and showing us the beauty of service to others. We marvel that youre sincere love for people as you traded all with dignity whether they were rich or poor. Your kindness was unconditional. Never perceiving anyone has been a few. So many have shared personal stories about what you have meant to them as you have exemplified values and qualities that have enhanced their lives. If i had every dollar for every story i could pay for this site. Your family is so proud of the legacy you have left behind but i hope that the history of view can help turn the tide of self hate and violence because we are overwhelmed with moments of silence for tragic death. Here on the soil, american soil, in the middle east or anywhere else in this world we crave for peace. The peace that you rest in now. We will forever cherish the 74 years you grace to this. He will be greatly missed but now we sing in celebration, a blown kiss in prayer as you enter your final round. Gods last spell will sound in heaven. I love you, we all of you. Thank you very much. [applause] [applause] ladies and gentlemen, rasheda ali walsh. [applause] we are so honored that you have packed this room with your love. Thank you all. [applause] thank you so much for being here today to celebrate our father. You were the greatest father to us and it was gods will to take you home. Your family will try our best to make you proud and carry on your legacy of giving and love. You have inspired us and the world to be the best version of ourselves. May you live in paradise, free from suffering. You shook up the world and life, now you are shaking up the world and death. [applause] daddy is looking at us now and saying i told you all i was the greatest. [applause] no one compares to you, daddy. You once said i know where im going and i know the truth and i dont have to be what you want me to be. I am free to be who i am. [applause] now you are free to be with your creator. We love you so much, daddy. Until we meet again, fly butterfly, fly. [applause] [applause] hello. My name is nicola. I was born on muhammad alis birthday. It was named after him. He used to call me the little greatest. We can all learn from mohammeds example of kindness and understanding. When mohamed was asked how he would like to be remembered, he said, i would like for them to say he took a few cups of love, he took one tablespoon of patience, one tea spon of generosity and one pint oferosin kindness, one pirch of concern and mixed willingness with happiness. He had a lot to say and he stirred it up well. And he spread it over a span of a lifetime and he served to each and every deserving person he met, thank you. He met [applause] ladies and gentlemen, natasha. [applause] before i begin i am truly and honored to be here. I would like to think the Muhammad Ali Center and the ali family for giving me the opportunity to speak and to echo the voice that mohamed has given me. So let me tell you a story about a man, a man who refused to believe that reality was limitation to achieve the impossible, a man who once reached up through to the pages of a textbook and touched the heart of an 8yearold girl whose reflection of herself mirrored those who cannot see past the color of her skin butor instead of drawing from that pain from a distorted reality,yt she found strength. Just as this man did when he stood tall and said, i at disturbance and i will never shop shaking your waves. [applause] and his voice echoed through hers, through mind and she picked up the rocks that were thrown at her and the she threw hem back and reflectedin pain and to strength and ten now sayty. Now, the 8yearold girl stands before you to tell you that alis cry still shakes these waves today. [applause] to find identity whether we are black, white, hispanic, disabled, lgbt, muslim or jewish, hindu or christian and invalidates the idea that we are to be conformed to one standard. [applause] that is what it means to defeat the impossible because impossible is not a fact, impossible is an opinion. Impossible is nothing. [applause] when i look into this crowd i smile, i smile to recognize that hes not really gone. He lives in you and he lives in me and he lives in every person that he has touched in everyy corner of this world. [applause] reality was never a limitation for ali, for us, just as every punch his opponents threw, impossible is never enough to knock us down because we are ali. [applause] we are greater than the rock or the punches that we throw at each other. We have the ability to empower and inspire and to connect and to unify and that will live on forever. [applause] so let me tell you a story about a man, his name is muhammad ali. He is the greatest of all time. [applause] he is from louisville, kentucky and he lives in each and every one of us. [cheers and applause] and his story is far from over, thank you. [cheers and applause] ramsadies and gentlemen, john ramzi. [applause] first of all on behalf of my fellow to Muhammad Ali Family we offer condolences and heart felt prayers, we know that muhammad was blessed with many guests but none for precious than lonnie ali. Thank you so much. I have to tell you louisville when i was in the procession today and i saw the tens of thousands of people and all the warm and respect that was shown to mohamed, i know he was watching from above and i know he absolutely loved it. [applause] but i dont think he would be surprised. I think mohamed would say, louisville, kentucky the greatest city of all times. Im feeling good, man. [applause] i tell you what, how can we lose the stuff we use. [laughter] im feeling so good i think im going to make a comeback and change my name to walnut street, thats how good i feel. [applause] for me i always felt connected to mohamed even before i had met him, maybe it was the fact that i was a louisville boy, maybe the fact that i love it had louisville cardinals like mohamed. [cheers and applause] you know, but as our relationship evolved, i found that a lot of felt as personal connection with mohamed and thats part of the ali magic. Mm initially for a lot of men my age and certainly myself it was the athlete that i was attracted to. I mean, that kind of size, that kind of speed, agility, the grace, not only made him the World Champion of the world but athlete of the century, certainly it made him the athlete of once inalifetime athlete, but the kindness to lift us up made him a oncein onceinalifetime person. Many stories about mohamed but theres a couple to really ensad sullate what he was all about. I remember back in 2011i made visit to olympics. He decided to watch a boxing match. 15,000 people are chanting usa, usa, usa. I thought this was my olympic moment, i was filled with patriotic pride hin of photographers were taking pictures and thousands of parttime cheers and mohamed leaned down to me and said, i want to see the loser. I said, excuse me. I want to see the loser, so i motioned over, mohamed wants to see the losing, can we go to the losing locker room. We go to the locker room, theres not tens of thousands of people, not photographers, kids in a corner and has a towel around his knock and bloody mouth under his eye, this has got to be the lowest point at athletic career, felt like he let down his country and defeated and the vibe in that room was literally the lowest oe low. In broken english he said, muhammad ali. Muhammad ali starts throughing and he grabs him in a bear hug. You moved good, you can be a champion. P. Dont give up. It warmed my heart how he took this kid from here to here in an instant. [cheers and applause] i was caught up in the momen i didnt give the losing fighter a second thought. I said, mohamed, youre the greatest. Mohamed said, tell me something i dont already know. [cheers and applause] but what i dont want people to forget, no doubt to me hes the finest example of a human that ive ever seen, the finest example of a great human being that ive ever seen of the kindness that a human possesses, that was muhammad ali, dont forget about this, man, mohamed was the coolest cat in the roomd i mean, he was good looking, he had charm, he had charisma, he had swagger before he knew what swagger was. I [laughter] i remember about 25 years ago he came in town to visit his mother and he wanted to go outback stake house and and the time there was a Louisville Convention and all had numbers on their shirts, these guys line up for an autograph. If you like i will play the bad guy and let you eat. I will sign between bites, so hes taking bites and signing. This guy walked up, you can tell hes a big fan, he knew mohamed, he was scared to said, champ, i saw the stance you made in the civil rights movement, i is that your stance on the vietnam war, youre my hero, i have a picture of you at the fire house, youre my hero. Ha muhammad ali we wanted to change the channel. Youre the real hero, saving lives, putting your life on the line. Man, youre the real hero and the fireman responds real quickly, man, but you bought the bear, he says you bought thed fd rabbit, foreman and frazier and said, yeah, but joe wasnt really smoking. La [laughter] thats a good line. Youre right. An write that downment it wasntt, all about signing autographs and kissing babies. If there was a village that needed food in a thirdworld country mohamed on plane with travel with check. If there was a conflict and he w could be part of a resolution, again, mohamed will travel. As lonnie mentioned, hostages to be released, mohamed was the man of action. One of my favorite quotes and ia think its right here on the program, mohamed said service to others is the wrench you pay for your room here on earth and i just want to say, champ, your rent is paid in full. Your rent is paid in full. [cheers and applause] he has taught us to love rather than to hate, so look for commonalities rather than differences. And so therefore i think hes really paid it for all of us. So as we all know now, you know, the fight is over but im here to tell you, the decision is in and it is unanimous. Because of muhammad ali, we all win, the world wins, thank you so much, muhammad. It is time for a man of peace to rest in peace and thank you so very much. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, billyel crystal. [applause] thank you, ladies and gentlemen, were at the halfway point. [laughter] i was clean shaven when this started. Dear, lonnie, family, friends, mr. President , members of the clergy, all these amazing people here in louisville, today [cheers and applause] this out pouring of love and respect proves that 35 years after he stopped fighting he is still the champion of the world. [cheers and applause] last week when we heard the news, time stopped. There was no war, there were no terrorists, no globall catastrophes, the world stopped, took a deep breath and scythe. Since then my mind, every momen. That i can think of is she she rished, he wanted me to tell you of moments. I met up in 1964 but i had one good routine, a threeminute conversation between howard, muhammad ali where i would imate both of them. Ali had just defeated georgean forman, sport magazine made him the man of the year that comedian was not available and she wisely said, listen, i have this young kid and does great immaterialation of ali, he would be perfect for you but i dont know why but dick said, okay, iy will try him, if he thinks i can cut him out of the show, i couldnt believe it. My first time on tv and it would be with ali. I met mr. Chap. Ohio should i introduce you, nobody knows who you are. Just say one of alis closest and dearest friends. [laughter] my thought was i will get right to the microphone and go into my howard and i will be fine. You had to live in his time. Its great to look at clips and amazing that we have them but to live in his time, watching his fights, experiencing the genous of talent was extraordinary. Every one of his fights was an era of the super bowl, he did things nobody would do. S he predict it had rounds he would knock somebody out and then he would do it. [laughter]t he was funny. He was so much time now that Martin Luther king went on, there were many men, all of us huddled in Conveyor Belt but ali stood up by standing up from himself, after he was stripped of the title, and the right to fight anywhere in the world he gave speeches and colleges that totally reached me. Umor he was always himself willing to give up everything for what hegi believed in and the passionate rhetoric about the fight of black and white people in our country resinated in our house. I grew up in a house for civil rights and first to integrate fans in the 40s and 50s, the branch rocky of jazz, my uncle and family, jewish people producedded fruit describing the lynching of africanamericans in this country. So i felt him, there he was just a few feet from him. I couldnt stop looking at him. He seem today glow, amaigz face smiling and laughing. I was seated a few seats from him on and great one. Niel simon, all over ali looked at me with antics presentation to say what is joel gray doing here. [laughter] introduced me as one of alis closest and dearest friends. Two people clapped. [laughter] my wife and the agent. I rose and ali staired at me, went right, hello, everyone,ho coming to you live, some would pronounce it zaer, theyre wrong. [laughter] everybody is talking about george forman. I call him and im still fast, 33 years of age and im so fast that i could be at my room before it gets dark. [laughter]ow on i i have new religious believes. Im now an or orthodox jew and i am the greatest of all time. No one had ever done him beforee and there he was a white kidr from long island imitating the alltime and he was loving it. He gave me a big bear hug and said, youre my little brother. [laughter] which is what we always called me until the last time i saw him. We were always there for each other. He came to anything i asked him to do. Most memorable. He was an honorary chairman for a dinner. He did all of this promotion, he came to the dinner, he sat with my family the entire evening and took photographs with everybody, the most famous muslim man in the world honoring his jewish friend. [applause] there, we and because he was there we raised a great deal of money and able to use to endow the university of jerusalem withle something that i told him about and something that he love it had theory of and thrives to this day its called peace through the performing arts, its a Theater Group where israeli, arab, paletenian Work Together creating works of art. [applause] that doesnt happen without him. I had so many funny unusual moment. I sat next to him in cussels funeral. Mohamed and i were sitting with each other and he quietly whispered to me, little brother, do you think hes wearing his hairpiece. [laughter] so i said, i dont think so. [laughter] well, then how would god recognize him . Soy said champ, once he opens his mouth, god will know, so we started laughing but threaten we couldnt contain ourselves, here we were at a funeral, me with muhammad ali laughing who heard something dirty in church, we were laughing and laughing and he looked at me and said, howard was a good man, one time he asked me, if i would like to run with him one morning, do road h work with him and i said what would be amazing. I run at this country club and run at golf club its very private, nobody bothers me and we will have a great time. I cant run there, the club has reputation of being restricted. They dont allow jews there, they dont have any jewish members. Im a black muslim and they let me run there. Little brother, im never going to run there again and hed he d didnt. [applause] my favorite memory, my favorite memory 1979. He had just retired and there was a Retirement Party for mohamed in 20,000 of his closest friends in los angeles. I performed the piece that i had created, its called 15 rounds and i play it to the age of 15 to 36 when hes ready to the rematch, i posted it on the internet last week, footage that nobody had seen of me before portraying his life doing for him all those years in 1979. 20,000 people there but i was doing it only for him. One of my favorite performances of my life. Av i sort of got lost in him. I didnt even know where i was. At the end of the performance and suddenly im backstage with another champion and pryer is holding to me crying and then in see ali coming, hes got a full head of steam, he whispered in my ear with a big bear hug, little brother, you made my life better than it was. [laughter] but didnt he make all of our lives a little bit better than they were. [applause] that my friends is my history with a man and to come up with m way to describe the legend, hehe was a tremendous bolt of lighting created by Mother Nature out of thin air, fantastic combination of pawer and beauty, we see photographs of lighting bolts at the moment of impact, ferocious and magnificent in elegance and at the moment of impact it lights up everything around it so you can see everything clearly. Muhammad ali struck us in the middle of americas darkest night in the heart of the most threatening gathering storm, the power toppled and intense light shined on america and we were able to see clearly injustice, inequality, pride, courage, ultimately became a silent messenger of peace who taught us that life is best when you build bridges between people not walls. [cheers and applause] my friends my friends only once in a thousand years or so do we get to hear a mozart or see a picasso read a shakespeare, he was one that ran with the crippled and smiled through the foolishness of it all. [cheers and applause] he is gone but he will never die. He was my big brother. Thank you. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, bryant gummbel. The great maya angelou who was herself no stranger to fame wrote that ultimately people forget what you said people will forget what you did but no one will ever forget how you made them feel. As applied to muhammad ali willl march of time may one day diminish his boast and poetry, maybe even butterflies and bees, it may even one day the memorieo and the rumble of the jungle, but i doubt any of us will ever forget how muhammad ali made uss feel. And im not talking about how proud he made you feel with exploits or how special he made you feel when you were privileged enough to be in his company. Im talking about how he ripped our hearts and our souls and our conscious and made our fight his fight for decades. People like me who were semigifted and black will never forget what he freed within us. Some of us like him took pride in being black, brash and because we were so unapologetic we were in the eyes of many, we were way too arrogant, yet we rebelled in being liking by stretching societys boundaries as we did, he gave us levels of strength and courage we didnt even know we had but alis impact was not limited for those with certain race or certain religion or the certain mind set, the greatness of this man for the ages was that he was, in fact, a man for all ages. Has any man ever stripped better of his life . What does that say of a man, any man . That he can go as being viewed as one of the countrys polarizing figures to arguably his post beloved. [appla [applause] and to do so without changing his nature or for a second compromising his principles. Yeah, you know, there were great causes, Great National movements, there were huge divisions that afforded ali unusual opportunities to symbolize our struggles, butt harry truman had it right when he said men make history and not the other way around or asot lauren hill so nicely put it, consequences is no coin ad aln coincidence. Mohamed ali never shot away from a fight. Outside the wring he also went toe to toe with an array of critics, aseemingly endless of societial norms, the architects of a immoral war, the u. S. Government, he event fought up s to his detriment of the limitations of father time strictly speaking fight asking what he did, but he broaden that definition by sharing struggles with us and by viewing our struggles as his. And at various times he led battles on behalf of his race, in support of his generation, in defense of his religious beliefs and ultimately in spite of his disease. I happened to be in norway and my buddy told me that the champ had been taken to the hospital. This time it was really serious. Right away i called lonnie who was as always a pilar of strength. As we discussed the medical details and the ugly realitiesew of mortality, lonnie said, bryant, the world still needs him. And indeed it does. The world needs a champion who always worked to bridge the economic and social divides that threaten the nation that he does he dearly loved. The world needs a champion for inclusion for all. Hating people because of their color is wrong, ali said and it doesnt matter which color does the hating, its just plain wrong. [applause] yeah, we do need muhammad ali now, we need the strength and the hope, the compassion, conviction that he alwaysstrate. Demonstrated. But this time our beloved champion is down. And for once he will not get up. Not this time. Not ever again. I will close with a quick personal story. S 50 years ago muhammad ali ago, u defeated george in toronto, canada. Very next day, he showed up in my high park neighborhood on the south side of chicago. As ali got out of the car in a driveway i happened to be next door shooting hoops at a friends backyard. I of course, quickly ran to thea fence and for the first time in my life i shook the champs hand. I was 17 and i was awestruck and man, i thought he was the greatest, now half a century and a lifetime of experiences later, i am still awestruck and i am convinced more than ever that muhammad ali is the greatest. [applause] to be standing here by virtue of his and lonnies request is mindnumbing. The honor that ali has done me today as he goes to his grave, is one that i will take to mind, god bless you. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, the 42nd president of the United States, the honorable William Jefferson clinton. [cheers and applause] thank you. I can just hear mohamed sayingmg now, well, i thought i should be eulogized by a president and by making you last in a long, long time, i guaranty you standing ovation. Im trying to think of what has been left unsaid. First, lonnie, i thank you and the members of the family for telling me that he actually has bryant picked us all to speak and given us a chance to be here. Me here. I thank you for what you did to make the second half of his life greater than the first. [applause] i thank you for the muhammade ali center and what it has come to represent to so many people. Heres what i would like to say, i spent a lot of time now as i get older and older and older and trying to figure out what makes people tick, how they do turn out the way they are, how do some people refuse to become victims and rise from every defeat. Weve always seen the beautiful pictures of the home muhammad ali who is a boy in people visiting and driving by. I think he decided something i hope every young person here i hope will decide, i think he decided very young to write his own life story. [applause] i think he decided before he could possibly have worked itrkt all out and before fate in time could work their will on him, he decided that he would not be ever disempowered. He decided that not his race nor his place nor the expectations of other positivenegatives would otherwise strip from him the power to write his own story. He decided first to use the stunning gifts, his strength and speed in the ring and words inds managing the public and his mind and heart to figure out at a fairly young age who he was,s what he believed and how to live with the consequences of acting on what he believed. A lot of people make it to step 1 and 2 and still just cant quite manage living with theseq. Consequences of what he believes. For the longest time, in spite of all the wonderful things that have been said here, i remember thinking when i was a kid this guy is so smart and he never got credit for being as smart as he was. And then lause] [applause] i dont think he ever got the credit for being until later as wise as he was. In the end, besides being a lot of fun to be around and basically universal soldier for our common humanity, i will always think of muhammad as a a truly freeman of faith. [applause] and being a man of faith, he realized he would never be in full control of his life. Something like parkinsons could come along. But being free he realized that life still was open to choices. The choices that muhammad ali made that have brought us all here today and honor and love. [cheers and applause] and the only other thing i would like to say, i think we all need to really, really think about, as the first part of his life was dominated by the triumph of his truly unique gifts. We should never forget them. We should never stop looking at the movies, we should thank will smith for making his movie, we should all be thrilled, it was a thing of beauty. [applause] but the second part of his life was more important because he refused to be imprisoned by a disease that kept him ham strong like Nelson Mandela. That is the second life of his life he perfected gifts that we all have, every single solitary one of us has gifts of mind and heart. Its just that he found a way to release them in ways large andea small. L. I asked lonnie if she remembered a time when they were still living in michigan and i gave ae speech in southwest michigan, an Economic Club there and sort ofa a a ritual when a president gets office, nobody plays a song when you walk in the room anymore. [laughter]r] you dont really know what youre supposed to do and this club its called the Economic Club, i think. [laughter] theyre use today action like you still deserve to be listened to and you have to get accommodated and somehow he knew that i was a little off my feet that night. I was trying to imagine how to make this really new life and he told me a really bad joke. [laughter] and he told it to well and he laughed so hard that i totallyhe got over it and had a great time. [laughter] [applause] he had the feel about, you know, theres no textbook for that, knowing where somebody is in there head. Picking up the body language. Then lonnie and muhammad got me when they had the casing of the Muhammad Ali Center and i wasli trying to be incredibly older gray haired guy and im saying all this stuff in very hightone language and mohamed speaks up behind me and puts his if i thinkers up. [laughter]muhamm finally after all the years that we had been friends, my enduring image of him is like a little real and three shots, the boxer i thrilled to as a boy, the man i watched take the last steps like the old olympic flame when i was president. [applause] and ill never forget it. I was sitting there in atlanta. By then we knew each other, by then i felt some sense of what he was living with and i was still weeping like a baby seeing his hands shake and legs shake and knowing by god he was going to make those last few steps no matter what it took, the flame would be lit, the fight would be won, the spirit would be, i knew it would happen. [applause] and then this, the childrens lives he touched, the young people he inspired, its the most important thing of all. So i ask you to remember that. We all have an ali story. Its the gift we all have which should be most honored today because he released them to the world. Never wasting a day that the rest of us could see, anyway, feeling sorry for himself that he had parkinsons, knowing that more than three decades of hisos life would be in ways that would be chilling for the naked eye but with a free spirit it made his life bigger, not smaller because other people all of us unlettered, unstooled, the unleashings, well, would you look at that, look at that. May not be able to run across the ring anymore, may not be able to dodge and exhaust everybody anymore and hes bigger than ever because he is a freeman of faith sharing the gift we all have. We should honor him by letting our gifts go among the world as he did, god bless you. [applause] there will be time for that. [laughter]r] for right now is the time for silence, so will everyone risesl and observe a period of silence, reflect on what the champ meant to you as the ali family exits. [silence] ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much. [applause] please be seated. Be seated, be seated, the program is not over. We are trying to create space for the family to be able to exit in peace, please be seated. We need we want to make prayer, we want to share something before we close the program, so please be seated. As we move towards the end of the program, which will occur in a couple of minutes, i will be remiss if i didnt say the following, indeed, as we all know and anyone who lives within a ghetto or a barrio, theres racist, reckless flismen, thats a fact. But there are also policemen anr women who are dedicated professionals who are compassionate and who have great concern for their communities, and i can say with all honesty and openness, during my past week here in louisville, kentucky or past five days, myself, my wife, dr. Gionatti everybody who i have spoken to has commented on the professionalism, the dignity ofi the policemen here in louisville, kentucky that weve interacted with. And im sure there are bad apples here too but as they say one apple doesnt spoil the whole bunch. Now, they asked me to make a prayer to close this service but reverend cosby through down thea gauntlet. So im going to have to respond, this poem was written in muhammad alis house and muhammad ali was the first one to hear this poem. And im glad mike tyson left. [laughter] its two parts. One part is ali the fighter, he floated by a butterfly and staning like a bee, the best fighter the world is yet to see, his opponents agree on one thing, they got it all right and in the ring in danger with ali that night, supertorty of all would be telling, had had he fought tyson on the mist of heavy weight champions thosen name would not appear. If president s could fight, he would have fought richard nixon, the right was with power and left with relentless, he beat people so bad he had to engage in active repentance to mention anybodys name other than ali is a crime. [cheers and applause] he struck many against injustice and inequality coming the age during time of legal segregation, he came to embody the highest value of the nation. Standing up for the truthfined h defying, he declared i aint got no corral, he would not take up the gun, he refuse today pull the trigger, he aint no vietcom ever call me a nigger, he brought in an entire nation to his feet. Not to cheer for his going down in the ring but the far right in line with malcolm and king. Willing to give up his title, the money, the life, he dedicated himself to a higher fight. The fight the truth injustice to liberate mans occupied by the highest court in the land his case would not be denied. With the heart made of gold and the spirit to match, he was able to rebuild his life almost starting from scratch. With the torch of love and the flame of good, he let the fire of hope in the hearts of many boys and girls in the hood. Not knowing the word i cant, he was never deterred and because of his example many a dream was not deferred. In the heart of every life he touched he left a stamp and he will always be known as the peoples champ. [applause] now, we have to make the prayer. Muhammad alis spirit, his body is down, but his spirit is up. And it will stay up as long ason we keep it up and we keep it up as long as we live with the grace and dignity he lived with, as long as we love with a passion he loved with, as long as we care and give with the generosity he exemplified, god as we depart from this gathering may we be blessed to love as he loved, to live as he lived, to share as he shared, to carehe as he cared to the extent of our various capacities and to float as freely as he floated. God bless and blessings ands, ab peace upon mohammad, good evening. [cheers and applause] youre watching book tv on cspan two with top nonfiction authors. Book Tv Television for serious readers. This weekend on book tv, we are live from the printers fest now in its 32nd year in chicago. Some of the authors you will hear from include amy goodman, marcia clark, also california senator Barbara Boxer recalls her life in politics in afterwards and tom talks about personal library and reading habits. A look at the world war i le
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