EXPLORING

Explorers researched Atlanta, Georgia, Hershey, Pennsylvania, and Louisville, cities they would like to visit for a summer adventure. They learned a day before the would be their destination. These travel writers explored a national park, learned sports legend, enjoyed Kentucky Fried Chicken at the company headquarters, walked history of Noah’s Ark, and made hats with a famous hat maker.

Louisville, Kentucky as three the trip that Louisville learned more about a walked through the

LOUISVILLE, KY- The Merze Tate Explorers took a trolley ride around Louisville to learn more about the legendary Muhammad Ali. Garret McCorkle, education assistant at the Ali Center, was our tour guide and expert on Ali’s life. As we rode through the streets on a warm June afternoon, McCorkle brought to life many of the stories we had heard about.

Our journey led us to the home of Ali, 3302 Grand Avenue. He was born in Louisville on January 17, 1942, and named after his father, Cassius Marcellus Clay. McCorkle told us how Ali was so happy to have received a new red Schwinn bicycle from his parents when he was 12 years old. But the bike was soon stolen, and Ali was mad! He was so mad that he went to file a police report. He swore to Officer Joe Martin that he would “whup” the thief if he ever found him.

Officer Martin did something to change Ali’s life. He gave him boxing lessons. Our guide said that Ali was asked, years later, what he would do if he could talk to the bike thief today. Ali replied that he would shake his hand and thank him. Today, Muhammad Ali is considered the best boxer of all time!

We rode and stopped to take photos along our adventure. We saw the church Ali attended and learned how he would leave church early to save a spot for his family to picnic in the popular Chickasaw Park. Chickasaw Park was one of the only parks in Louisville that was meant for black people to enjoy.

Young Cassius would go to Chickasaw Park to train every day. His training schedule included a four-mile jog, sit-ups, push-ups, shadowboxing, and sparring with himself in the park. He never lifted a single weight to train in his whole boxing career.

We also rode by Central High School, the segregated school that young Cassius attended. McCorkle told us that the young boxer would often put on combat boots and chase his school bus to school for fun and exercise.

In 1960, when Cassius was still an amateur boxer, he had 100 wins and 5 losses. Because of his good record, he was invited to the Olympics in Rome, Italy. Everybody was very excited and happy, but there was one problem. Cassius was afraid of flying in an airplane. He and Officer Martin had a three-hour-long conversation on why flying wasn’t as bad as it seemed. After the conversation, he still wasn’t convinced. Finally, Martin tricked Cassius into wearing a parachute on the plane.

Cassius won the gold medal in that Olympics. When he returned, a big parade was held for him in Louisville. Days later, he went to a diner with a friend to get a burger and a shake. The people at the counter refused to serve them because they were African American. Then they showed her his gold medal. She didn’t care. It’s been said that once Cassius realized that nothing he did could change racism, he threw the medal off of a bridge into the Ohio River.

After converting to the Islamic faith, Clay changed his name to Muhammed Ali. In 2005, Louisville established a museum called the Muhammad Ali Center. We visited the Center, which has exhibits, old video footage, and even some of his awards on display. The memory of Muhammad Ali is very much alive in Louisville. He was a hometown hero. He was, and still is, Louisville’s Greatest!