Photo credit: Courtesy of Lucky7even Entertainment
*Originally published on September 29, 2014: The Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards: An Evening of Recognizing Greatness took place on Saturday evening, September 27th, 2014 in Louisville, Kentucky where Academy Award winning actress and ambassador for UNICEF Susan Sarandon was honored for Global Citizenship and Jim Brown received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Star-Award-Event is the kickoff of the Muhammad Ali Center that will raise money to help support the Ali Center’s ‘operations specifically in Congo, Africa where he’s trying to reach a new generation of African youth. The event promoted Ali’s message of 6 core principles – confidence, conviction, dedication, giving, respect and spirituality.’
Muhammad Ali with Susan Sarandon
Closer to home, former DC Mayor and current Ward 8 City Councilman Marion Barry, Jr. was feted by another Ali Family – headed by family matriarch Virginia Ali – that of the owners of the historic Ben’s Chili Bowl. 5-time World Boxing Champion Sugar Ray Leonard and Boxing Champion Sharmba Mitchell were also on board at a book signing for Barry’s Mayor for Life.
Barry and the Ali family are longtime friends – a friendship which started many years ago between Barry and Ben’s Chili Bowl founder, the late Ben Ali.
Marion Barry at the book party hosted by Hollywood on the Potomac and Michael Kosmides at LOOK
“My friendship with the Ali Family extends to almost 50 years.The restaurant’s founder, Ben Ali, was a visionary who, because of his business acumen, successfully extended the Ben’s Chili Bowl brand nationally. Ben was someone who truly loved this City,” said Barry. “I remember vividly that he was one of few business owners who allowed his establishment to remain open after the 1968 disorder; and who decided to remain open during the Metro construction, despite the toll the construction took on his business.
My longtime friend and his lovely wife, Virginia Ali, and her children, have continued to run the business. They have done an exceptional job in preserving the brand; by remaining a mainstay in our community; and have successfully expanded their business beyond the ‘U’ Street corridor.”
