"Muhammad Ali" (2014) – mural (acrylic paint)
This is my painting of Muhammad Ali (68 x 31 in.) on the Change The World mural at Gray Avenue Middle School in Yuba City, California.
As an Olympic gold medalist and former heavyweight world champion, there is no doubt that Muhammad Ali was legendary inside the boxing ring. But what really sets him apart from other athletes and made him a cultural icon were his outspoken political, religious, and social views that almost cost him his professional career.
During the turbulent 1960s and early ‘70s, he became a controversial and polarizing figure by speaking out about religious freedom and racial justice during a time when it wasn't popular to do so. He went from being a curious oddity in the early ‘60s, to a national villain, to an international hero. As his career wound to a close, Ali became increasingly involved in social causes, diplomacy, and politics.
Today, he is one of the most recognized sports figures in the world and considered by many to be the greatest boxer of all time.
As an Olympic gold medalist and former heavyweight world champion, there is no doubt that Muhammad Ali was legendary inside the boxing ring. But what really sets him apart from other athletes and made him a cultural icon were his outspoken political, religious, and social views that almost cost him his professional career.
During the turbulent 1960s and early ‘70s, he became a controversial and polarizing figure by speaking out about religious freedom and racial justice during a time when it wasn't popular to do so. He went from being a curious oddity in the early ‘60s, to a national villain, to an international hero. As his career wound to a close, Ali became increasingly involved in social causes, diplomacy, and politics.
Today, he is one of the most recognized sports figures in the world and considered by many to be the greatest boxer of all time.