Thousands to line streets for final farewell to boxing great Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali will be laid to rest Friday, the culmination of a two-day farewell for the boxing legend and civil rights hero. Thousands from near and far are expected to line the streets of his native city of Louisville, Kentucky, to bid goodbye to the three-time heavyweight world champion. The funeral procession will wind through the city passing landmarks such as his childhood home, the Ali Center, the Center for African American Heritage and along Muhammad Ali Boulevard before arriving at the Cave Hill Cemetery for a private burial. Actor Will Smith - who earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Ali on the silver screen - and former heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis will be among the pallbearers.

It was fabulous, seeing all the different nationalities, cultures, races, religions come together, even though it’s a very sad situation that he passed, it’s very inspirational.

Makeeba Edmund, a city employee, who is Muslim

On Thursday, thousands of people came together across creeds and nationalities for a Muslim prayer service in remembrance of the boxer, who died last at the age of 74. The brief ceremony brought together dignitaries and ordinary fans, honoring a man known for both his tenacity in the ring and his social activism outside of it. Organisers believe they were able to show the true side of Islam, which Ali embraced after joining black separatist religious movement the Nation of Islam as a young athlete.

This week we lost an icon…A person who for African Americans, I think, liberated their minds in recognizing that they could be proud of who they were.

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