Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., famously known as Muhammad Ali, was one of the greatest boxers who ever lived. He grew up in this little pink house in the West End of Louisville, KY in the Parkland neighborhood. His home was one block away from a redlined area of town. Cassius (at the time) moved into this house at 3302 Grand Ave. with his family when he was 5 years old in 1947. His parents Odessa and Cassius Sr. and brother Rahman lived in this house until Cassius Jr was 19, one year after his gold medal winning fight at the Rome Olympic games.
From here Clay would bike to school and the gym located a few miles away. Cassius attended Central High School which was the only public high school in the city for African Americans. Due to racial segregation in the 50’s and 60’s, he had to attend that school. Since it was a magnet school, students from anywhere in the city could attend. The gym Cassius worked out in was 3.5 miles from his home and his school was about 3 miles away from his house.
From here, Clay grew up surrounded by segregation. Many times, he was denied drinks of water, food, and service in the city for the color of his skin. This really bothered Cassius and led him to take a role fighting for equal rights. As a rising star in boxing, he started to promote the push for civil rights and equality in the USA. While in high school, he achieved an amateur record of 100-5, an Olympic gold medal and many prestigious awards in the state before turning pro after graduating in late 1960. From there he became a prominent boxer and civil rights activist.
Since then, the house, once in declining condition, has been restored to its original condition. It is now a museum.
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