For Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, his "I Have A Dream" speech at the Muhammad Ali Center.

Thanks to a regular reader for this pithy introduction to an important topic.

"After listening to the dismissive remarks Mayor Gahan made earlier this month concerning public housing and Mount Tabor Road residents, I think what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said is very fitting. 'Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.' The mayor is a kakistocrat and a poor excuse for a leader and human being."

Meanwhile, the Muhammad Ali Center will screen King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech on Monday (Sara Havens; Insider Louisville)

 ... As a tradition, the Muhammad Ali Center screens King’s “I Have A Dream” speech each year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which is Monday, Jan. 15. The free public event will be followed by a panel discussion on “Continuing the Dream, Living the Legacy” by members of the Ali Center’s Council of Students.

In 2007 and 2008: The Muhammad Ali Center on Memorial Day.

Even if it means that by doing so, I risked forsaking my status as iconoclast? I can live with that. Just from idle curiosity, did Her Honor ever make a visit?

Thinking about Muhammad Ali and the Democrats on Memorial Day.

C'mon, who could turn down an afternoon at Louisville's Muhammad Ali Center?

Also: Muhammad Ali as Third-World Hero, by Gerald Early (Ideas, from the National Humanities Center)

Rewind: Two Memorial Day posts from 2008.

Two ruminations from two years ago. First, there's war as obscenity irrespective of "sides" occupied by the dead.

Memorial Day as a universal concept.

... For me, it's a far more worthy holiday is it prompts introspection into the sacrifice made by all soldiers in all places and times, the vast majority of whom have been little more than cannon fodder and largely without any identifiably personal stake in the outcome of battles fought for reasons that have nothing whatsoever to do with those doing the actual dying.

Second, there are local symbols, and then there are local entitites congenitally allergic to symbolism.

Thinking about Muhammad Ali and the Democrats on Memorial Day.

A year ago this weekend, Mrs. Confidential and I visited the foremost destination for foreign tourists who come to Louisville, and I urged readers to do the same: C'mon, who could turn down an afternoon at Louisville's Muhammad Ali Center?

We've been back for a repeat look, and enjoyed the experience just as much the second time.

7 Wonders of Louisville? Muhammad Ali Center isn't on the list? Did R.O.C.K. do that?

The following press release comes courtesy of One Southern Indiana, which works hard to keep the exurb exactly the way it is now. Rev up your Hummers, and read on:

7 Wonders of Louisville - in Southern Indiana

The Falls of the Ohio was named one of the "7 Wonders of Louisville" - a great representation for Southern Indiana! The other "Wonders" are:

Belle of Louisville; Cave Hill Cemetery; Churchill Downs; Olmsted Parks System; Slugger Museum and Bat Factory; and Waverly Hills.

Over 6,000 total votes were cast in this popular community-wide contest. This contest was co-sponsored by the Mayor's Office, Louisville Historical League, and LouisvilleMoJo.com.

The top 7 Wonders were selected from a list of 20 historical and cultural sites, which had been previously determined by an earlier nomination contest. May is 'Hometown Tourist' month, and with increasing fuel costs, Louisville is fortunate to have many fascinating things to see and do within the metro region.

Area residents are encouraged to visit these '7 Wonders' during this upcoming summer, as well as all of our beautiful cultural and heritage landmarks.

With Louisville MoJo involved, I'd have expected some mention of strip clubs or escort services, but perhaps the web site's level of support wasn't sufficiently high, and besides, 1SI's bedmate, Reclaim Our Culture Kentuckiana, would have been dismayed.

Speaking of the arbiter of regional culture, ROCK's latest cultural campaign is an on-line lobbying effort and petition to encourage the state of Kentucky to offer "In God We Trust" worship license plates: "This is a critical moment for Kentucky to stand up for the principles behind our nation's motto - 'In God We Trust' - and protect our heritage."

To each his own. I suppose heritage items like the slaughter of Native Americans (never pursued without the sanction of organized religion), slavery and the persecution of homesexuals are important in a historically ignorant sort of way ... right?

I suppose it's hard to quibble with the saccharine-safe list of "wonders," which seem to have been chosen with an eye on tourism alone, but I do wish to contest the inclusion of Waverly Hills. If symbolism is the intent, then the Muhammad Ali Center should be on the list.

Perhaps the organizers reasoned that a black man running for president was enough to antagonize local racist residents during one calendar year, and yet the fact renains that Ali is from here, is revered throughout the world outside Louisville, and that should count for something.

What again is the nature of the culture that we're supposed to be reclaiming?

Thinking about Muhammad Ali and the Democrats on Memorial Day.

A year ago this weekend, Mrs. Confidential and I visited the foremost destination for foreign tourists who come to Louisville, and I urged readers to do the same. We've been back for a repeat look, and enjoyed the experience just as much the second time.

C'mon, who could turn down an afternoon at Louisville's Muhammad Ali Center?

I wrote last year that, "It is difficult to imagine any self-declared Democrat – for that matter, any person, period – consciously turning down the opportunity to reflect on the universal human ideals considered therein." In the 12 months that have passed since then, the success of Barack Obama's presidential bid provides yet another opportunity to consider the nature and practice of these ideals.

Here is the Center's mission statement:

The Muhammad Ali Center serves as both a destination site and an international education and cultural center that is inspired by the ideals of its founder Muhammad Ali … Two-and-a-half levels of interactive exhibits and captivating multi-media presentations present Ali’s life story through the six core values of his life: respect, confidence, conviction, dedication, giving, and spirituality … Ultimately, the Ali Center strives to inspire you to pursue your potential and explore the greatness that lies within yourself.

C'mon, who could turn down an afternoon at Louisville's Muhammad Ali Center?

Given a choice on Memorial Day between attending the Abbey Road festival honoring the Beatles and visiting the adjacent Muhammad Ali Center, we opted for the latter.


Something in the way the Courier-Journal slickly touted the riverfront Beatlerama struck an unresponsive chord within us, while the memory of listening to the Ali Center’s Daniel Kalef speak at the Floyd County Democratic Party’s Jefferson-Jackson Dinner remained strong, urging an appreciation of the boxer-turned-cultural ambassador’s fascinating life.

In fact, it is difficult to imagine any self-declared Democrat – for that matter, any person, period – consciously turning down the opportunity to reflect on the universal human ideals considered therein:

The Muhammad Ali Center serves as both a destination site and an international education and cultural center that is inspired by the ideals of its founder Muhammad Ali … Two-and-a-half levels of interactive exhibits and captivating multi-media presentations present Ali’s life story through the six core values of his life: respect, confidence, conviction, dedication, giving, and spirituality … Ultimately, the Ali Center strives to inspire you to pursue your potential and explore the greatness that lies within yourself.

At the aforementioned Jefferson-Jackson Dinner on April 27, Mr. and Mrs. Confidential were flatly envious of 5th district Democratic council candidate Diane McCartin Benedetti, who walked off with the door prize of specially selected Muhammad Ali Center materials and admission tickets. I wonder if she has yet had time to visit, and if so, whether the experience was good for her.

It certainly was good for us. Here are a few views of the interior.