By Adele Hodge
On June 9, 2016 in Louisville, Kentucky, hometown and other mourners crowded in to say good bye to the three-time Boxing Heavyweight Champion of the World, Muhammad Ali.
On Friday, heads of state and leaders in high social and professional positions joined the memorial tributes to the beloved fighter who inspires generations of people all over the world.
It’s hard to exaggerate the intensity of the admiration and respect global citizens hold for Muhammad Ali. What a pleasure it is to be among the countless individuals who for brief moments had their lives touched by the life of a champion so full of spirit, dignity and truth.
Like other mourners saddened by his passing, I began thinking about who he was, what he stood for and the two times our paths actually crossed. Of course I recounted the stories several times to family and friends. My son, Michael, asked me to write it out for him, and my friend and associate, Linda, suggested I seek publication where more eyeballs than this website attracts could see it.
After deciding that I would tell my own experiences of meeting Ali in brief, simple circumstances, I began paying particular attention to the hundreds of thousands of internet stories and comments centered on his life of authenticity and achievement. He was truly a man who was exactly as he appeared in every facet of media.
As this is being written, Louisville crowds are honoring his life and legacy. Muhammad Ali passed away the evening of June 3 in his new hometown of Phoenix, Arizona. He was 74.
Encountering “The Greatest”
The first time I encountered Muhammad Ali in person was an early summer Sunday in 1976 in Chicago. I was among a group of about 10 NABET union workers picketing at the Wells Street entrance of NBC-TV. At the time, NBC occupied the 19th and 20th floors of the Merchandise Mart.
We got a boost in support when Muhammad Ali refused to cross the picket line to be interviewed on Meet the Press that Sunday. We were excited to see Muhammad Ali when he walked up to our small group and pleasantly surprised when he took the time to share words of encouragement with us. “Ali did something most people didn’t do,” engineer Carl Hickman remembers, “He came and talked to us, that’s something most people wouldn’t do.”
“He’s a champ, not a chump . . .”
NABET Union Picket Line, 1976
One of the engineers started to chant, “He’s a champ, not a chump. He’s a champ, not a chump,” and we all joined in. Ali’s appearance kicked our energy into high gear for the rest of that picket line assignment. I went over to Ali to shake his hand as he was leaving. But he looked at me and said humorously, “Don’t no woman shake my hand,” as he gave me a friendly hug of support.
Ali repeatedly affirmed his greatness well beyond the boundaries of championship boxing by always considering the plight of the people no matter where he was on the globe.
Nearly Two Decades Later
The second and last time I saw Muhammad Ali was around the early 1990s. He was sitting in the popular “Rock ‘n’ Roll” McDonald’s in Chicago’s River North neighborhood just blocks from the Merchandise Mart where I first met him. Surprisingly, it was not busy so Ali had a moment of quiet. He appeared to be waiting for someone to pick him up.
I noticed him as I was going out the door and decided to seize the opportunity to say something to him. I don’t remember my words of admiration, but I do remember that I kept them short because his Parkinson’s disease had started to rule his movements. He graciously gave me the autograph I requested. I left the restaurant feeling happy about my unexpected chance to see him up close and in person one more time.
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On June 9, 2016 in Louisville, Kentucky, hometown and other mourners crowded in to say good bye to the three-time Boxing Heavyweight Champion of the World, Muhammad Ali.
On Friday, heads of state and leaders in high social and professional positions joined the memorial tributes to the beloved fighter who inspires generations of people all over the world.
It’s hard to exaggerate the intensity of the admiration and respect global citizens hold for Muhammad Ali. What a pleasure it is to be among the countless individuals who for brief moments had their lives touched by the life of a champion so full of spirit, dignity and truth.
Like other mourners saddened by his passing, I began thinking about who he was, what he stood for and the two times our paths actually crossed. Of course I recounted the stories several times to family and friends. My son, Michael, asked me to write it out for him, and my friend and associate, Linda, suggested I seek publication where more eyeballs than this website attracts could see it.
After deciding that I would tell my own experiences of meeting Ali in brief, simple circumstances, I began paying particular attention to the hundreds of thousands of internet stories and comments centered on his life of authenticity and achievement. He was truly a man who was exactly as he appeared in every facet of media.
As this is being written, Louisville crowds are honoring his life and legacy. Muhammad Ali passed away the evening of June 3 in his new hometown of Phoenix, Arizona. He was 74.
Encountering “The Greatest”
The first time I encountered Muhammad Ali in person was an early summer Sunday in 1976 in Chicago. I was among a group of about 10 NABET union workers picketing at the Wells Street entrance of NBC-TV. At the time, NBC occupied the 19th and 20th floors of the Merchandise Mart.
We got a boost in support when Muhammad Ali refused to cross the picket line to be interviewed on Meet the Press that Sunday. We were excited to see Muhammad Ali when he walked up to our small group and pleasantly surprised when he took the time to share words of encouragement with us. “Ali did something most people didn’t do,” engineer Carl Hickman remembers, “He came and talked to us, that’s something most people wouldn’t do.”
“He’s a champ, not a chump . . .”
NABET Union Picket Line, 1976
One of the engineers started to chant, “He’s a champ, not a chump. He’s a champ, not a chump,” and we all joined in. Ali’s appearance kicked our energy into high gear for the rest of that picket line assignment. I went over to Ali to shake his hand as he was leaving. But he looked at me and said humorously, “Don’t no woman shake my hand,” as he gave me a friendly hug of support.
Ali repeatedly affirmed his greatness well beyond the boundaries of championship boxing by always considering the plight of the people no matter where he was on the globe.
Nearly Two Decades Later
The second and last time I saw Muhammad Ali was around the early 1990s. He was sitting in the popular “Rock ‘n’ Roll” McDonald’s in Chicago’s River North neighborhood just blocks from the Merchandise Mart where I first met him. Surprisingly, it was not busy so Ali had a moment of quiet. He appeared to be waiting for someone to pick him up.
I noticed him as I was going out the door and decided to seize the opportunity to say something to him. I don’t remember my words of admiration, but I do remember that I kept them short because his Parkinson’s disease had started to rule his movements. He graciously gave me the autograph I requested. I left the restaurant feeling happy about my unexpected chance to see him up close and in person one more time.
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