Muhammad Ali remembered: He 'dared to love black people at a time when black people had a hard time loving themselves'

Muhammad Ali was honored at his memorial service in Louisville, Kentucky as a &quot;civil rights leader&quot; who &quot;dared to love America&#039;s most unloved race.&quot;

(Image credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

published 10 June 2016

Muhammad Ali was remembered not only for his prowess as a boxer at his memorial service in Louisville, Kentucky, on Friday, but also for his unabashed embrace of his identity as a black man. "Muhammad Ali dared to love black people at a time when black people had a hard time loving themselves," Kevin Cosby, a pastor at St. Stephen Church, said during his eulogy in front of the tens of thousands gathered for the service. "[Ali] dared to affirm the beauty of blackness," Cosby continued. "He dared to affirm the power and capacity of African Americans. He dared to love America's most unloved race."

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), a close friend of Ali's, also recognized the boxing great's power as "a civil rights leader" and, more so, as an equalizer. "I saw greatness in Ali's ability to look beyond the horizon of our differences and find common ground," Hatch said.

Ali died June 3 at the age of 74 following a long battle with Parkinson's disease.