This morning [Friday, June 10] in Kentucky, crowds of supporters and mourners of the late Muhammad Ali will line the streets of Louisville as a 90-minute funeral procession is set to travel through the icon’s hometown, passing by sites such as his childhood home and Columbia Gym, the very first boxing gym in which he trained.
Set to begin at 9 AM ET, the 16 to 18 car procession is also scheduled to pass by the Ali Center and past Central High where he graduated and will end at the Cave Hill Cemetery, where Ali will be laid to rest in a private ceremony.
The celebration of Muhammad Ali’s life began on Wednesday [June 8, 2016] with the “I Am Ali” festival where the inhabitants of Louisville came together to celebrate the life and legacy of the man who inspired them every day. Thursday saw the gathering of many for Ali’s Jenazah, a Muslim prayer service in his honor.
It was Ali himself who made these plans for his passing several years ago, from the festival to the procession and his memorial. In his true spirit, Muhammad Ali wanted all these things open to the public as Thursday’s prayer service was made available to stream online.
The Champ’s widow Lonnie Ali, former President Bill Clinton and sportscaster Bryant Gumbel are among those expected to eulogize the boxing great today.
The service will be held in the 22,000-capacity KFC Yum! Center, the place where a 12-year old Ali would begin his amateur boxing career.