Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutBack-Up DocumentsMuhammad Ali (January 17, 1942 — June 3, 2016) is a well-known American professional boxer and a social activist in civil rights with deep ties to a portion of Miami's History. Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. being his former name, he lived in Miami for a portion of his life, including the cultural cradle of Black Miami, Overtown. His Miami career began with the fight against Sonny Liston February 25, 1964 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. After his victory, Clay celebrated at the Historic Hampton House, a preeminent motel catering to African Americans in the 1960s. Shortly after meeting with a few other prominent African American figures of that era, he changed his name from Cassius Clay and Muhammed Ali was created. Before the infamous "Fight of the Century" Muhammad Ali versus Joe Frazier fight on March 8, 1971, Ali trained at the 5t' street Gym in Miami Beach. Outside of his Miami training career, Ali opened a restaurant called Champ Burger in 1968 with one location in Coconut Grove and one in Liberty City. From fellowshipping to training, Ali carved a piece of himself in the heart of Miami. Sources https://www.histolymiami.org/exhibition/muhammad-ali-in-miami-training-for-the-fight-of-the- centurv/ https://www. architecturaldi gest.com/story/real-history-hotel-one-night-in-miami https://pbase.com/donboyd/image/163378776 https://www.miaminewtimes. com/news/muhammad-ali-once-made-miami-the-center-of-the- boxing-universe-8501771 https://www.hi stoly.com/thi s-day-in-hi story/clay-knocks-out-li ston https://wsvn. com/news/local/owner-of-former-ali-home-describes-encounter-with-famed-boxer/ https://www.miaminewtimes. com/arts/things-to-do-in-miami-muhammad-ali-photo-exhibit-at- historymiami-12013195 10/8/21, 11:05 AM Owner of former Ali home describes encounter with famed boxer — WSVN 7News I Miami News, Weather, Sports I Fort Lauderdale ,14unerorrrrne6 describes encouki«I 'W boxer BY JEFF LENNOX JUNE 5, 2016 Share MIAMI (WSVN) - The owner of Muhammad Ali's former Miami home is telling his story of his encounters with the late, famed boxer. https://wsvn.com/news/local/owner-of-former-al i- home- descri bes-encounter-with-famed-boxer/ 1 /5 10/8/21, 11:05 AM Owner of former Ali home describes encounter with famed boxer — WSVN 7News I Miami News, Weather, Sports I Fort Lauderdale Ross' parents purchased the home in 1965 from Muhammad Ali himself. "I was born in'74, after they bought the house in '65, after he won the fight on Miami Beach;' Ross said. Ali lived at the residence in the early days of his career. "This area right here, he had the speed bag put up, and he used to stand in front of the window and train with the speed bag;' Ross said while on a tour of the house. Ross said he grew up hearing stories of Ali. "I keep a little memorabilia around, little things here and there that I collected as I grew up;' Ross said. When Ali was a resident of the Miami home, he won the Heavyweight Championship in Miami, he also converted to Islam and changed his name from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali. Films about the boxing legend were shot at the house. The first film was "The Greatest" in 1977. "1 was probably 5 or 6 years old, and I could still remember all the camera crews," Ross said. "People setting up in our backyard, and he was walking all around and just a normal day.' The second film to be recorded at the residence was "Ali" in 2001 "They actually re -did the whole thing to look like the'60s;' Ross said. "Will Smith, Jamie Foxx — all them, they were all here sitting in this room.' In between takes, Ali would connect with people in the neighborhood he once called home. "Basically, he was just reliving the old days, always doing his boxing moves and everybody from the community would gather around and watch him;' Ross said. Ross said he plans to pass down the stories to his own children. "I try to instill in them some of those values that he told us back in the days, about how to always strive to be the best ... and you can be whatever you want to be, so they are going to grow up knowing those same values," he said. Neighbors said Ali used to set up a film projector in his front yard where he would play movies and video from his fight for the neighborhood kids. Copyright 2021 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. https://wsvn.com/news/local/owner-of-former-ali-home-describes-encounter-with-famed-boxer/ 2/5 NeruTimes HISTORY HistoryMiami Exhibit Captures How Miami Helped Make Muhammad Ali — and How Ali Returned the Favor MIKE SEELY MARCH 23, 2021 8:OOAM ■ (MAIM r RESDOIISI FOR EQUIP1 29 Sign up for gig speed! Equip., taxes, and other charges extra, and subj. to change. seed is claimer for details. For a lot of people, being a top -tier bank executive would be good enough — and a good reason to turn in early once the workday ended. But not for Ramiro Ortiz, who eventually rose to the role of president at SunTrust Bank and BankUnited — all the while moonlighting as a boxing promoter. "Even while I was working in banking, I promoted boxing shows at War Memorial in the early'80s," says Ortiz, who later promoted fights at Magic City Casino. "That makes for an interesting whirlwind, when you're a banker by day and a boxing promoter by night." Ortiz got hooked on the sweet science at a young age. Despite mounting a 7-0 record as an amateur, he determined that he'd be better off banking than boxing. "In sports, there's what appears to be little difference from one level to the next," he says. "But when you're competing, you understand that level is almost like a mountain you have to climb." RELATED STORIES With a Storied Miami Motel as Backdrop, One Night in Miami Honors Four Black Icons Khalilah Camacho-Ali Was Once Married To The Greatest Boxer Muhammad Ali Once Made Miami the Center of the Boxing Universe He always kept one foot in the ring, however, including frequent visits to the original — and legendary — Fifth Street Gym in Miami Beach. "The first floor was a drugstore," he says of the second -floor gym, which boasted Angelo Dundee as its trainer. "You walked up this rickety, old wooden staircase. All these great fighters in the '50s, '60s, '70s, and early '80s, they worked out there — Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, Sugar Ray Robinson. I still remember the first day I walked in there, the number -one lightweight in the world, Douglas Vaillant, runs past me." ►•1 But of all the greats who trained at the gym, none was as magnetic or majestic as Muhammad Ali. The famed fighter, who died in 2016, is the subject of a nhntnarnnh-%T,-Vhihit nt PictnrXTXAinmi NAiicPiim InrhPrP (lrti7 fnrmPrl_%r cPr-,TPrl ac Y11V ClL 4J11JV 11�111R/l1 111iJ1.V1 J VlVjLjLLllll 1VX %A111, VV lll.l V11.1L.11 Vl llll.11V iJ%IX V CEO. CJ 1 Created and curated by Miami -based photographer Andrew Kaufman, "ALI/MIA" consists of silver gelatin prints of Ali from negatives in the Louisville Journal - Courier's archives. Most of the photos depict the famed boxer training and going about his daily life in Miami during the runup to his first fight against Joe Frazier — a championship match that took place 50 years ago this month, one that is remembered in the annals of boxing as "The Fight of the Century." Muhammad Ali hits the heavy bag at the Fifth Street Gym in Miami Beach in February 1971. Larry Spitzer/Louisville Courier -Journal (Ali and Frazier were undefeated prior to the 15-round bout, which was contested on March 811971, at Madison Square Garden in New York. Frazier won in a unanimous decision, though both fighters emerged from the fight battered and tCh IZY bloodied. Ali would go on win two subsequent — and equally hard-fought — rematches, in 1974 and 1975.) The exhibit, which runs through August 29, is displayed in a new gallery space that will showcase South Florida photography through HistoryMiami's collection of more than two million images. In one of those images, shot by Larry Spitzer, Ali adjusts his shirt outside Wolfie's, the iconic, 24-hour delicatessen that stood for 60 years at 21st Street and Collins Avenue. When you think of Muhammad Ali, "Jewish deli" probably isn't the first term that comes to mind. But to know Miami Beach in the early '70s is to understand the connection. "By that time, there were a lot of Jews in Miami Beach," notes local historian Marvin Dunn, a professor emeritus at Florida International University. "It was the end of segregation and the beginning of integrated society. It was a dramatic moment in terms of civil rights coming to the fore as the new reality. Ali may have been the first Black person who was identified with Miami Beach, unless you were a maid or gardener. "He was also still a Black man in Miami, and there were still dangers with that," adds Dunn, who himself is Black. "He could have gotten killed running across the Causeway in the dark. He suffered the same demeaning insults that any Black person in Miami did at the time. It hurt him; it hurt all of us." A In a sense, Muhammad Ali himself was a Miami Beach institution. Larry Spitzer/Louisville Courier -Journal Specific to Wolfie's, Dunn says, "I used to go there for breakfast. It was one of the few places on the beach where a Black person could go and not feel uncomfortable, partially because there were so many northerners in there. It was also a political hotbed. Politicians met there; decisions were made there. It was kind of a focal point, both in terms of celebrity and one of the first places that was accepting of African -Americans. I got introduced to sauerkraut there. Corned -beef sandwiches, pastrami — I hadn't had any of that stuff before." Recalls Ramiro Ortiz, paraphrasing Ali's cornerman, Ferdie Pacheco: "Cassius Clay was born in Louisville, but Muhammad Ali was made in Miami." Then known by his birth name, Ali first appeared in the city shortly after winning gold at the 1960 Rome Olympics. Over the years, he lived in many of Miami's neighborhoods, including Overtown, the cultural cradle of Black Miami. As Dunn sees it, the boxer's presence over the years bestowed upon Black Miami "a heightened sense of importance." Many of the photographs that comprise "ALI/MIA" depict Ali training, relaxing, or interacting with onlookers at the Fifth Street Gym, where he was "bathed in this gorgeous Miami light," says curator Andrew Kaufman. Kaufman stumbled onto the project in 2018 after a friend pored through the Ali archives in the Courier -Journal's photo department. The newspaper had been photographing Ali's exploits since the Louisville native was a 12-year-old amate y and had in its possession a multitude of compelling images that had never seen the light of day. Kaufman's friend mentioned in passing that some of these photos were of Ali in Miami, so Kaufman asked to see them. About six months later, he got his hands on the negatives. He culled his favorites, hit the darkroom, and came out with the portfolio that would become "ALI/MIA." "He'd say, 'I should be on a postage stamp because that's the only way I'm gonna get licked."' Larry Spitzer/Louisville Courier -Journal Not long afterward, the Colony Theatre on Lincoln Road staged a play called One Night in Miami, which imagines a night of spirited conversation between Ali, Malcolm X, the singer Sam Cooke and the football star Jim Brown in a Hampton House hotel room after Ali won the heavyweight title from Sonny Liston at the Miami Beach Convention Center in February of 1964. The Colony displayed the photos in its lobby for the duration of the play's run. IZY After the play ended, the set — and Kaufman's prints — headed to the Hampton House as an installment. Kaufman then added eight famous Ali photographs to his Colony collection for a larger installment at the Betsy Hotel, where someone at the Knight Foundation saw them. The foundation arranged for a grant to enable HistoryMiami to purchase the prints. (As for One Night in Miami, last year saw the release of a film version of the play, which recently garnered three Oscar nominations, including one for Best Adapted Screenplay.) The Courier -Journal also compiled a book, Picture: Muhammad Ali — A Rare Glimpse Into the Life of the Champ, which contains hundreds of photos from the archive that span Ali's life from the time he won his first Golden Gloves championship at age 12. "Ali's mark on Miami is absolute," says Kaufman. "When I got to be in the darkroom and hold the negatives of Muhammad Ali at Wolfie's or the Fifth Street Gym or on Collins Avenue leaning over a Miami Herald newspaper box, the nostalgia was intense. These were all the places I'd seen as a child visiting my grandparents on Miami Beach. I'm from New York City, and to see the Miami Beach of my childhood was an experience I'll never forget. Collaborating with Muhammad Ali in a sense is one of the highlights of my career." Historian Marvin Dunn: "Ali may have been the first Black person who was identified with Miami Beach, unless you were a maid or gardener." Larry Spitzer/Louisville Courier -Journal Jebb Harris wasn't in Miami when Ali was training for the Fight of the Century, but the former Courier -Journal photographer was in the Bahamas when the champ fought the final bout of his career, against Trevor Berbick in 1981. Showing the early signs of Parkinson's, Ali lost a ten -round decision, and three of Harris' photos from that final trip are included in the "ALI/MIA" exhibit. Harris recalls that he was with a colleague when one of Ali's handlers told them to "be at the fountain at 6 a.m." the day of the fight. They showed up on foot, and at the fountain they found, in Harris' words, "a limo following Ali, who was jogging and shadowboxing. The sun was coming up over the ocean and it was just beautiful. We get about a mile out in the country and the limo stops and Ali gets into it. We thought it would be a long walk back, but Ali sticks his head out and says, 'Come on, get in,' and drove us back to his condo." Of the champ's hallmark wit, Harris adds, "He'd say, 'I should be on a postage stamp because that's the only way I'm gonna get licked.' He made great copy; he was so quick. Later on, he was frail and had someone guiding him through the crowd. Years later, when I too got Parkinson's, it occurred to me how hard that must have been for him to be so fast and so agile and then have to have somebody have to walk you through a crowd." "Muhammad Ali in Miami: Training for the 'Fight of the Century."' Through August 29, at HistoryMiami Museum,101 W. Flagler St., Miami, 305-375-1492, historymiami.org. Admission is free. KEEP MIAMI NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started Miami New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Miami, and we'd like to keep it that way. With local media under siege, it's more important than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our 1 Support" program, allowing us to keep offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food and culture with no paywalls. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. TnCAlr%lkl - A nT0 I RLI' L#11'4V P4K I %I Reginald O'Neal Searches for Inspiration From His Family and Overtown Neighborhood Your Guide to 2021-2022 Arts Season in Miami The 16 Best Things to Do in Miami This Week The Ten Best Art Galleries in Miami Presented by: fashionnova.com Womens Down For Some Loungin' Biker Romper in Chocolate Brown Size XS by Fashion Nova DON'T MISS OUT New1mes SIGN UP for the latest arts & culture news, free stuff INSIDERS and more! JOIN TODAY ► advertisement ART Artist Jessy Nice Uses Paracord to Explore Themes of Survival CAROLINA DEL BUSTO OCTOBER 7, 2021 8:00AM FV Jessy Nite at her home studio in Little Haiti. Photo courtesy of Jessy Nite f V E2 ® TT The sounds of a dutiful guard dog can be heard from the other side of the door to artist Jessy Nite's home studio in Little Haiti. A cream -color canine, Jane circles Nite before sitting by her side. The 34-year-old artist herself sits at her desk. Behind her hangs a newly completed tapestry: strands upon strands of paracord, woven, tied, and knotted to form a phrase that appears to float in midair. "I was as you are, you will be as I am," it reads. Recognized internationally for her typography work, Nite recently took up paracord as a new, unexplored material. Paracord is an insanely sturdy material. The name is an apt portmanteau of the words "parachute" and "cord" — it's the type of rope employed in parachute suspension lines and beloved by members of the military and hikers for its strength and durability. It's associated with survival, which makes it a suitable material for Nite, who began working on this project during the pandemic. RELATED STORIES Jessy Nite's Stay Gold Sculpture Is Headed to Robert Is Here Jessy Nite's Sun Stories Fills Giralda Plaza With Color and Culture Miami Artists Lure Locals to the City's Suburban Art Scenes Like many artists, Nite saw many of her projects put on hold by COVID and found herself with an uncommon abundance of free time. The New Jersey native took the opportunity to pause, reconnect more with nature, and reset. An avid hiker, she spent more time outdoors and playing with different survival knots and paracord. One day, while having a casual conversation with a friend, she knotted a keychain out of paracord. The discovery led to experiments with the material until the work evolved into the large-scale tapestries that now hang all around her studio. Tiara are one, one is none Photo courtesy of Jessy Nite "They're all referencing survival," Nite explains as she sips a chamomile tea. "Survival in social settings, in nature settings. They also reference climate change. Some of the sayings are also plays off of common survival phrases." "Two are one, one is none," reads one. "Retreat," says another. "On and on." The pieces are colorful and beautiful, saying one thing literally but meaning so many others. "If you look back at all m work, the common thread isn't really the medium; it' Y Y Y the narrative," Nite says. "Most of my text work has a lot of different layered meanings, so [the pieces] are going to have different meanings for different people. They're supposed to." "If you look back at all my work, the common thread isn't really the medium; it's the narrative," Nite explains. Photo courtesy of Jessy Nite In 2015, Nite used pills to spell out certain words, such as "Serenity Now" and "Chill," each word or phrase connecting to the theme of addiction. Her widely photographed outdoor shadow pieces, like "Beneath your light, my paradise" in Allapattah or "Sun is high so am I" at Miami Beach's SoHo Beach House, all relate to the outdoors. And now, survival. Nite's surroundings and life phases heavily influence her work. Her earlier work centered on themes of partying and addiction, which reflected her life at the timco Now, as those around her struggle with survival, her work has become a self -study of the times, focused more on exploring the ideas of nature and community. "In the last year, there was definitely the idea of surviving as in your life and health are being threatened, but then there's survival as it pertains to the climate crisis, and also social survival is something that hit hard last year," she says. "There's a deeper conversation to be had about what we humans need to survive these days." The artist enjoys creating and getting lost in her work. She describes her process as meditative, reflective, and sometimes grueling. She adds that some pieces may take her a handful of hours over a few days to create, whereas others demand a monthlong commitment of nine- to 12-hour workdays. Detail of Jessy Nite's work with paracord. Photo courtesy of Jessy Nite Over the summer, Nite displayed one of her new paracord pieces at a group exhibition at Apollo Plants in the Design District. She's working to produce more works for a solo exhibition later this fall. IZY Despite taking some time to recharge, Nite remained steadfast in creating in 2020. r7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7• Tl T\ Tl 7 7 7 T1 7 T• 7 T 7 Brie womect wan local businesses, inclucting t oia lie, t oxelcter, anct Yalm rilm Lab. Earlier this year, she had a public art installation in her hometown of Jersey City, and she collaborated with spirits brand Diageo for an art deco -inspired work. The piece is part of an installation up now through December at the Showfields store on Lincoln Road. In addition to the planned solo show, Nite is working with Miami -Dade Art in Public Places for a large-scale installation in 2022. "I feel really strongly about these pieces," she says, "and I'm excited to put brand new work out that no one has ever seen." KEEP MIAMI NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started Miami New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Miami, and we'd like to keep it that way. With local media under siege, it's more important than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our 1 Support" program, allowing us to keep offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food and culture with no paywalls. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. CONTACT: Carolina del Busto FOLLOW: Twitter: .&arolinarebeca Instagram:.@a cdelbusto TRENDING ARTS Reginald O'Neal Searches for Inspiration From His Family and Overtown Neighborhood Your Guide to 2021-2022 Arts Season in Miami The 16 Best Things to Do in Miami This Week The Ten Best Art Galleries in Miami Presented by., fashionnova.com Womens Down For Some Loungin' Biker Romper in Chocolate Brown Size XS by Fashion Nova FV DON'T MISS OUT SIGN UP for the latest arts & culture news, free stuff Npwlines "--- --"--- anca more! INSIDERS I I JOIN TODAY advertisement CULTURE So Shifty Its Good's Skate Meet Will Bring Together Athletes of All Skill Levels JESSE FRAGA OCTOBER 6, 2021 9:OOAM Miami skater Jordan Daley landing a freestyle trick at Lot 11 Skatepark. Photo by Jesse Fraga Emerging Miami collective and streetwear brand So Shitty It's Good (SSIG) will blend skateboarding and community engagement at a free event at Lot 11 Skate Park, on Saturday, October 9. Participants will vie for a chance to ride alongside artists like Kevin Pouya and SDotBraddy, as well as professional skateboarder Tl------- T7-------1:-1--. --- j-1- d,rl !1!1!1 ----- - -- j-1-- 1:-- Lanny r uenzanua, wiLri a �)z-,Uvv Pl-lZe Uri Brie line. The stakes are high, but SSIG founder Steven "SDotBraddy" Braddy anticipates a low-pressure Game of Skate and trick contest open to all ages and skill levels. "I want these kids to be a part of something," Braddy says. "SSIG is way bigger than just a brand; it's a meaning. SSIG brings those shitty ideas to life." SSIG, which launched last year, is the epitome of Miami's skate culture: street fashion, free expression, and a growing community without judgment. RELATED STORIES With Lot 11, Miami Finally Gets Its Long -Overdue Public Skate Park SDotBraddy on Quitting College Football for Rap: "Everyone and Their Mother Said I Was a F@#%ing Idiot" As skaters soar through the park's nearly 50,000-square-foot skate plaza, bowl, and transitions, SSIG invites attendees to escape from life's stressors — a life skill Braddy has had to learn himself. He used skateboarding as an outlet for his grief after his mother's passing last year. "I realized you can only get so far by yourself, so I eventually let more and more people in," he explains. "Skating was always that outlet for me to let go, even in a shitty situation." A ►•1 .00 Steven "SDotBraddy" Braddy (left) and his photographer Julian "The Brain Wave" Alicea Photo by Jesse Fraga The former college football player wants Miami to show out — especially those in financial hardship. "We're trying to shed light on the local community of kids that are going through shit," he says. "I guarantee there's going to be another kid who's like, 'I don't [have any] bread, but it's free, so I'm going out to skate with the homies."' Kendall native Desmond Lamar White took home a $250 cash prize this summer when he won SSIG's last Game of Skate at Kendall Freepark. "Skating became a lifestyle," White says. "There's money on the line, but I want everyone to have the freedom that I had with this sport." This week's competition heats up as skaters will battle for $2,000 and receive free giveaways from SSIG's new sustainable streetwear line, which drops on the same day. "I'm pretty sexually open, which is what I try to show through my designs," says Braddy, referencing a shirt titled "1-800- SAD -PORN." "I used to watch porn when I was sad, like any other middle schooler, so I tried to make light of those memories through my art and music." Pouya shreds decks at Kendall Freepark during SSIG's last skate meet. Photo by Jesse Fraga With 14 years of experience shredding decks, White says SSIG events do not compare to your typical skate competition. "It doesn't feel as serious. You can tell it's somebody that's trying to help out the community," White explains. "The people behind it are super cool, and they're not pro skaters. It's a better vibe." This is just the beginning for SSIG. The team plans to organize more meet -ups across Miami, including at basketball and football games, with the hopes of connecting local athletes with professional players. In the end, Braddy hopes to bring out the SSIG kid in everyone. IZY "I want them to think of the carefree brand that they can be themselves in," Braddy says. "When you're coming to an SSIG event, just know that if you're thinking, 'Am I too different? I'm not the best skater' — no, you're an SSIG kid. If you feel like the shittiest kid in the skatepark, know that this situation is going to be good. You might learn that trick you were down on yourself about." So Shitty So Good Skate Event. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, October 9, at Lot 11 Skate Park, 301-349 NW Second Ave., Miami, soshittyitsvaood com. Admission is free with RSVP via eventbrite.com. KEEP MIAMI NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started Miami New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Miami, and we'd like to keep it that way. With local media under siege, it's more important than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our 1 Support" program, allowing us to keep offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food and culture with no paywalls. Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. TRENDING ARTS Reginald O'Neal Searches for Inspiration From His Family and Overtown Neighborhood Your Guide to 2021-2022 Arts Season in Miami The 16 Best Things to Do in Miami This Week The Ten Best Art Galleries in Miami Presented by., fashionnova.com Womens Proper Attire Top in White Size Large by Fashion Nova NewTimes INSIDERS DON'T MISS OUT SIGN UP for the latest arts & culture news, free stuff and more! JOIN TODAY ► Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our terms of use our cookies policy, and our privacy -policy The Miami New Times may earn a portion of sales from products & services purchased through links on our site from our affiliate partners. ©2021 Miami New Times, LLC. All rights reserved. Powered by Foundation