Lebron James’ Foundation and business partner Maverick Carter will donate $2.5 million towards the development of a Muhammad Ali exhibit. The exhibit will be housed, in Washington, D.C., at the newly built Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. James tells USA Today, “Muhammad Ali is such a cornerstone of me as an athlete because of what he represented not only in the ring as a champion but more outside the ring – what he stood for, what he spoke for, his demeanor.” The multi-million dollar donation will be used to add historical context and memorabilia to the Ali exhibit. The museum’s founding director Lonnie Burch reveals that there will be two separate segments of the Ali exhibit: his career and social activism. Burch also explains why James’s contribution is important for younger athletes. “His support will help us to continue the story of Muhammad Ali and will encourage athletes to realize how important athletics is in terms of social justice. It’s also really important that actions like this by Mr. James encourage younger athletes and people with means to recognize the philanthropy and paying homage to those who went before, how crucially important that is.” Source
