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Louisville, KY – The United States Postal Service (USPS) officially unveiled a commemorative Forever Stamp honoring legendary boxer and activist Muhammad Ali on Thursday. The ceremony, held at the University of Louisville, celebrated the Louisville native’s enduring legacy.
Ali, widely considered the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time, was renowned for both his unparalleled athletic prowess and his impactful activism. A three-time world heavyweight boxing champion, he was also appointed a UN Messenger of Peace in 1998 and awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005. Ali passed away in June 2016 following a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.
The journey to this special recognition began in 2022 when the Muhammad Ali Center launched the “Get the champ a stamp” public awareness campaign. Commemorative stamps undergo a rigorous selection and review process by the Citizen Stamps Advisory Committee, a process that typically spans several years. The campaign’s efforts culminated in an announcement earlier this week, bringing the quest to fruition.
At Thursday’s unveiling, Lonnie Ali, Muhammad Ali’s wife of nearly three decades, spoke movingly about what this honor would have meant to him. “He would have loved this moment for a much deeper reason,” she stated.
“Because Muhammad understood what this stamp truly represents. Muhammad was a master communicator.
He understood the power of words and the impact of messages we send out into the world almost every minute of the day. He knew that our words can wound and they can heal, they can divide, or they can unite.”
The new stamp, designed by USPS art director Antonio Alcalá, features a striking 1974 black-and-white photograph of Ali with his fists gloved, looking directly into the camera. A remarkable 22 million of these stamps have been printed for a one-time-only release.
Ron Stroman, governor of the USPS and the dedicating official for the Muhammad Ali stamps, highlighted the design’s significance. “The photograph of him in his boxing stance reminds us of his unique athletic gifts, his lightning speed and deceptive power,” Stroman remarked.
“The alternating placement of his name recalls the bold topography of classic boxing posters, while also echoing the chant greeted him around the world, ‘Ali! Ali!
Ali!'”
Beyond his athletic achievements, speakers at the ceremony, attended by over 500 people according to a Muhammad Ali Center spokesperson, emphasized Ali’s altruistic spirit and political courage.
Lonnie Ali further elaborated on her husband’s profound impact: “Muhammad was a champion inside the ring, but his greatest legacy was compassion, how he showed up for people every day … This stamp will travel millions of miles.
It will pass through countless hands, but it will quietly remind the world of a man who dared to believe that kindness could be powerful and that being in service to others could be heroic, but the greatest tribute we can offer Muhammad is not to admire him. It is to follow his example, to make our own mark, our own stamp on the world.”
Stroman echoed this sentiment, adding, “For the Postal Service, this is more than a stamp. It’s a national thank you. It’s a tribute to a man whose conviction, dedication, and spirituality continue to inspire.”