The Greatest is coming to Cincinnati.

Muhammad Ali

        Former world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali will top a list of national entertainers, dignitaries and government officials in attendance at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center's groundbreaking June 17.

        Freedom Center officials will announce today that Mr. Ali will light the symbolic flame of freedom at the free event. The celebration, themed “Lighting Freedom's Flame,” is 7-10 p.m. on the Cincinnati banks of the Ohio River.

        The ceremonies will include a minifestival, food and craft vendors and family-oriented entertainment.

        The $65 million museum is scheduled to open in 2004 between Vine and Walnut streets on the riverfront.

        It will be the largest museum dedicated to the Underground Railroad and the hub of a national network of freedom station affiliates focused on research and programs that use history to promote cooperation.

        Mr. Ali headlines a star-studded cast at the event that is rumored to include such high-profile names as actor-singer Harry Belafonte, singer Lionel Richie and first lady Laura Bush.

IF YOU GO

• What: Groundbreaking for the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.     • Cost: Free. Open to the public.     • When: June 17. Community Festival, 7 p.m.; formal dedication, 8:30 p.m.; choral performance on the riverbank, 9 p.m. .     • Where: Lot D, Mehring Way at the foot of the Roebling Suspension Bridge in Cincinnati.     • Miscellaneous: There will be a public reception 5 p.m. June 17 with celebrity dignitaries at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center. Guests must RSVP the Freedom Center by June 16.     • Information: 412-6900.

        “Muhammad Ali represents what the Freedom Center is all about — courage, perseverance and the fight for freedom,” said the Rev. Damon Lynch Jr., a co-chairman of the event.

        “Ali is sought after by millions of people across the world and, given his physical condition, his representatives pick and choose his appearances very carefully.

        “The fact that Ali would choose to come to Cincinnati speaks volumes about the importance of the Freedom Center not just to Cincinnati but to the nation and the world.”

        Mr. Ali began receiving treatment in 1982 for Parkinson's disease. It is estimated that more than 1.5 million Americans suffer from this incurable neurological disorder, with 50,000 new cases diagnosed every year.

        Mr. Ali's visit comes at a time when Cincinnati is struggling to overcome deep racial divisions, a boycott and the aftershock of last year's riots. Freedom Center officials said Mr. Ali could be just the shot in the arm the city needs to polish its image and foster reconciliation.

        “Our current situation in Cincinnati simply underscores the need for this kind of celebration and for the Freedom Center and what it stands for,” said Edwin Rigaud, president of the Freedom Center.

        “I can't think of an individual who personifies freedom and equality more than Muhammad Ali.”

        Billy Payne, an investment banker who helped bring the 1996 Olympic Games to Atlanta, said Mr. Ali's presence can elevate even a prestigious event like the Olympics. Mr. Ali lit the Olympic torch in 1996 to kick off the Atlanta games.

        “Muhammad stands for that symbol of unification and he transcends all racial and cultural differences,” Mr. Payne said. “The image of him lighting that torch unquestionably created one of the great highlights of the Olympic games, and because of that people will always remember that it happened in Atlanta.

        “He added a special touch at a special time,” he said. “I'm sure the same will be said for Cincinnati.”

        Though slowed by Parkinson's, the three-time heavyweight boxing champion and political activist continues to use his celebrity to promote peace, literacy and children's issues. He actively raises money for the Muhammad Ali Foundation and frequently appears at fund-raisers.

        Born as Cassius Clay, the Louisville native gained worldwide acclaim after winning the gold medal in boxing while representing the United States in the 1960 Olympics.

        Four years later, he was crowned heavyweight champion of the world and would later convert to Islam. He changed his name, relinquishing what he called his “slave name.”

        Mr. Ali's refusal to be drafted during the Vietnam War led to his conviction for draft evasion and loss of his boxing title. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction in 1971, and Mr. Ali went on to win the heavyweight title twice more before retiring from the ring in 1981.

        In 2001, a feature film based on Mr. Ali's life starring actor Will Smith was a box office hit and earned the actor an Academy Award nomination.

        Freedom Center officials have been hard at work on negotiations with several other local and nationally-known dignitaries. Among those confirmed to appear:

        • Former Miss America Heather French Henry.

        • William Gray, a national advisory board member for the United Negro College Fund.

        • Andrew Young, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

        • Jack Kemp, a former vice-presidential nominee and pro football player for the Buffalo Bills.

        • Ohio Gov. Bob Taft.

        • Former U.S. Rep. Louis Stokes.

        Mr. Belafonte, co-chairman of the Freedom Center's capital campaign, may attend the event but is scheduled to be at an international conference on human rights in New York the same day.

        Freedom Center officials are hoping that Mr. Richie will lend his voice to the 600-plus already singing in the museum's community choir.

        “The reason this celebration is so attractive to national dignitaries and celebrities like Mr. Ali is because finally a national institution is telling a story and dealing with a part of history that hasn't been dealt with before,” said Melody Sawyer Richardson, a co-chairwoman of the event.

        “The gathering is symbolic of how blacks and whites came together with the Underground Railroad and how we as a city need to come together toward a common goal of racial harmony.”
       

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