May 27, 2025 • 6 mins
DeVone Holt, CEO of the Muhammad Ali Center, has a wide array of activities for Muhammad Ali Week which starts May 31st.
DeVone intends to regenerate the universal feeling of love and respect that embraced Muhammad's hometown and the entire planet after his passing 9 years ago.
DeVone intends to regenerate the universal feeling of love and respect that embraced Muhammad's hometown and the entire planet after his passing 9 years ago.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're a news radio eight forty wh It's always fun
welcoming in our neighbor. He's right now. We're in the
building next door. Javon Houl CEO of Muhammad Ali Center.
Great sea again, afraid.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Great to see you. My friend, Terry, just a walk away,
but I was too lazy to walk. I drove.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
I don't mind that. I heard a guy, my friend
over Duncan Donuts, said Devon, and we did what you
told him to do. If he asks for a donut,
tell him we're out of donuts. Did that happen?
Speaker 2 (00:28):
I think my wife probably caused I had too much,
too many sweets this weekend. Don't feed him anything with
sugar in.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
It this week That's a little trick we play on
people around here, all right. So it's Ali weaker that
starts in a few days.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
It starts in a few days. Terry. You know, I
will be fifty three years old this year, and in
my fifty three years, I spent most of them here
in Louisville, Kentucky, and I have never seen our city
better than when I saw it on Muhammad's memorial service
here in twenty sixteen. True, you remember that, yes, sir,
there were literally people who came from around the world.
(01:02):
Four hundred thousand people is the take, supposedly who flew
to Louisville to celebrate the life and legacy of Muhammad.
And if you remember that week, you remember that there
wasn't a cloud in the sky that day. There was
no crime reported that day. It was the most beautiful
celebration of life that I personally have ever seen, not
(01:24):
seen anything like it.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Well, the freeway was shut down. It was like the
President was in town. Because we stood on the top
of the Waterston Expressway at Newburgh Road and watched the
procession company was astounding.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
It was amazing, and so the community pause to celebrate.
There was so much love in the air and people
were learning to live and play and work together that week.
And we've just decided that we wanted to do everything
we could to recreate that feeling that this city generated
(01:58):
that day, and we for eight years now have had
what we call Ali Festival, and it's an opportunity for
us to create events and activities here in the city
that allow people to help us recreate that energy and
that feeling. And so that's what's going to start on
the thirty first of this month, and we'll push into
(02:20):
June fifth to play out the rest of those events.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
In actis I see you have a goat summit that.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Goat some we do. Indeed, one of the most familiar
names on that list of people who will be participated
in the Goat Summit is Dale Griffith. We wanted to
get athletes around the table who could not only talk
about what it meant to be a great athlete, but
also how do you balance that against having a humanitarian
(02:50):
cause and a care for humans that you advance with
your platform as an athlete. And so we're bringing some
athletes from around the country into the space at the
Muhammad Ali Center that's to talk about what it means
to operate in the spirit of Muhammad Ali, great athlete,
but also an even better humanitarian.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
No doubt, I'm sure griff had plenty of good time
with Muhammad over.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
He's got start lived in the same neighborhood, right, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
All right, I saw the Goat Summit is called there.
And then there's a Ali Fest is a carnival.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Carnival that will happen at the Muhammad Ali Center that's
going to happen on June first, that's a Sunday, and
it's a free day at the Muhammad Ali Center, So
we open it up to families from near infar Terry.
They come, the kids get face painting, We've got music,
we've got choreography, we've got games and activities, and we
(03:46):
also have the Muhammad Ali Center. And so we literally
will invite and welcome thousands of people into the Muhammad
Ali Center that day for free will. They get a
chance to not only experience the center, but help us
re create some of that energy. Come get to know
your neighbor. Yeah, Come get to understand what made Mohammad special,
and then take that out with you into the rest
(04:07):
of the world when you leave.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
We have to keep reminding people that the Muhammad Ali
Center is not just a museum. That's not just a
small component.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
That's absolutely right, Terry. It's a museum, it's also a
cultural center. And so part of what Mohammad decided he
wanted us to do in advance when he left, he said,
this center needs to be a place that does three things.
One that fosters respect. I don't care who you are,
what color you are, what part of town you live in,
who you voted for Mohammad believed that we were all
(04:37):
deserving of respect, and he wanted our center to be
a place that falstered respect. In addition to that, he
said he wanted us to inspire the next generation of
change makers. He wanted to make sure that his life
was being used to help young people figure out how
they too could make an impact on the world. And
then lastly, he said he wanted to advance social justice.
He just felt like there was still a need to
(04:58):
make sure that everybody had the the ability to participate
in this world in a way that allowed them to
live their best life and present their best selves. And
so that's what we commit ourselves to foster respect and
inspiring the next generation of change makers and of advancing
social justice.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
And you are a fire hose of energy that you
bring to everything you do. You're so perfect for this time.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
I appreciate that, Terry. I love it. We've got so
much incredible work ahead of us that it's so exciting.
I'll just I'll give you a little snippet. As much
as we are building out and strengthening our presence locally,
we're also building relationships nationally. And we had a beautiful
call with an international organization today that's eager to embrace
(05:49):
the Muhammad Ali Center and help us break the borders
of America and take this work international.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Beautiful Davon. Last thing, roses and remembrance comes up on that.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Is that's June three, That's the day Mohammad passed. And
at ten am that day, which is a Tuesday, we
will have a small ceremony where several of us, including
Lonnie Ali his wife, will gather and share roses and
a few stories and remembrance of the champs. And we'll
come come together and get to have a good time
to share stories and what he meant to us into
(06:21):
the world. And then and then we'll head back to
the Muhammad Ali Center, which will be open to the
public again that day.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
I'm gonna bring you some Dunkin Donuts at work tomorrow.
I won't tell your wife.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Don't tell my wife, Please, don't tell my life.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Devon Holt, CEO of the Muhammad Ali Center. It's online
at Ali Center dot org. You can read about all
those various events coming up for the Ali Week that
begins later in the week. Great see my friend, Thank you,
my friend. As always. Back in a few on news
radio wait forty wha s
You're a news radio eight forty wh It's always fun
welcoming in our neighbor. He's right now. We're in the
building next door. Javon Houl CEO of Muhammad Ali Center.
Great sea again, afraid.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Great to see you. My friend, Terry, just a walk away,
but I was too lazy to walk. I drove.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
I don't mind that. I heard a guy, my friend
over Duncan Donuts, said Devon, and we did what you
told him to do. If he asks for a donut,
tell him we're out of donuts. Did that happen?
Speaker 2 (00:28):
I think my wife probably caused I had too much,
too many sweets this weekend. Don't feed him anything with
sugar in.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
It this week That's a little trick we play on
people around here, all right. So it's Ali weaker that
starts in a few days.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
It starts in a few days. Terry. You know, I
will be fifty three years old this year, and in
my fifty three years, I spent most of them here
in Louisville, Kentucky, and I have never seen our city
better than when I saw it on Muhammad's memorial service
here in twenty sixteen. True, you remember that, yes, sir,
there were literally people who came from around the world.
(01:02):
Four hundred thousand people is the take, supposedly who flew
to Louisville to celebrate the life and legacy of Muhammad.
And if you remember that week, you remember that there
wasn't a cloud in the sky that day. There was
no crime reported that day. It was the most beautiful
celebration of life that I personally have ever seen, not
(01:24):
seen anything like it.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
Well, the freeway was shut down. It was like the
President was in town. Because we stood on the top
of the Waterston Expressway at Newburgh Road and watched the
procession company was astounding.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
It was amazing, and so the community pause to celebrate.
There was so much love in the air and people
were learning to live and play and work together that week.
And we've just decided that we wanted to do everything
we could to recreate that feeling that this city generated
(01:58):
that day, and we for eight years now have had
what we call Ali Festival, and it's an opportunity for
us to create events and activities here in the city
that allow people to help us recreate that energy and
that feeling. And so that's what's going to start on
the thirty first of this month, and we'll push into
(02:20):
June fifth to play out the rest of those events.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
In actis I see you have a goat summit that.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
Goat some we do. Indeed, one of the most familiar
names on that list of people who will be participated
in the Goat Summit is Dale Griffith. We wanted to
get athletes around the table who could not only talk
about what it meant to be a great athlete, but
also how do you balance that against having a humanitarian
(02:50):
cause and a care for humans that you advance with
your platform as an athlete. And so we're bringing some
athletes from around the country into the space at the
Muhammad Ali Center that's to talk about what it means
to operate in the spirit of Muhammad Ali, great athlete,
but also an even better humanitarian.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
No doubt, I'm sure griff had plenty of good time
with Muhammad over.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
He's got start lived in the same neighborhood, right, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
All right, I saw the Goat Summit is called there.
And then there's a Ali Fest is a carnival.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Carnival that will happen at the Muhammad Ali Center that's
going to happen on June first, that's a Sunday, and
it's a free day at the Muhammad Ali Center, So
we open it up to families from near infar Terry.
They come, the kids get face painting, We've got music,
we've got choreography, we've got games and activities, and we
(03:46):
also have the Muhammad Ali Center. And so we literally
will invite and welcome thousands of people into the Muhammad
Ali Center that day for free will. They get a
chance to not only experience the center, but help us
re create some of that energy. Come get to know
your neighbor. Yeah, Come get to understand what made Mohammad special,
and then take that out with you into the rest
(04:07):
of the world when you leave.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
We have to keep reminding people that the Muhammad Ali
Center is not just a museum. That's not just a
small component.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
That's absolutely right, Terry. It's a museum, it's also a
cultural center. And so part of what Mohammad decided he
wanted us to do in advance when he left, he said,
this center needs to be a place that does three things.
One that fosters respect. I don't care who you are,
what color you are, what part of town you live in,
who you voted for Mohammad believed that we were all
(04:37):
deserving of respect, and he wanted our center to be
a place that falstered respect. In addition to that, he
said he wanted us to inspire the next generation of
change makers. He wanted to make sure that his life
was being used to help young people figure out how
they too could make an impact on the world. And
then lastly, he said he wanted to advance social justice.
He just felt like there was still a need to
(04:58):
make sure that everybody had the the ability to participate
in this world in a way that allowed them to
live their best life and present their best selves. And
so that's what we commit ourselves to foster respect and
inspiring the next generation of change makers and of advancing
social justice.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
And you are a fire hose of energy that you
bring to everything you do. You're so perfect for this time.
Speaker 2 (05:25):
I appreciate that, Terry. I love it. We've got so
much incredible work ahead of us that it's so exciting.
I'll just I'll give you a little snippet. As much
as we are building out and strengthening our presence locally,
we're also building relationships nationally. And we had a beautiful
call with an international organization today that's eager to embrace
(05:49):
the Muhammad Ali Center and help us break the borders
of America and take this work international.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Beautiful Davon. Last thing, roses and remembrance comes up on that.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Is that's June three, That's the day Mohammad passed. And
at ten am that day, which is a Tuesday, we
will have a small ceremony where several of us, including
Lonnie Ali his wife, will gather and share roses and
a few stories and remembrance of the champs. And we'll
come come together and get to have a good time
to share stories and what he meant to us into
(06:21):
the world. And then and then we'll head back to
the Muhammad Ali Center, which will be open to the
public again that day.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
I'm gonna bring you some Dunkin Donuts at work tomorrow.
I won't tell your wife.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Don't tell my wife, Please, don't tell my life.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Devon Holt, CEO of the Muhammad Ali Center. It's online
at Ali Center dot org. You can read about all
those various events coming up for the Ali Week that
begins later in the week. Great see my friend, Thank you,
my friend. As always. Back in a few on news
radio wait forty wha s
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