Louisville's late, great Muhammad Ali is among a host of Black historical figures President Donald Trump said will be honored in his future National Garden of American Heroes during a Black History Month ceremony at the White House Thursday.
Trump described the garden as a "statue park" that will honor "hundreds of our greatest Americans to ever live, including countless Black Americans." He went on to mention several iconic Black Americans who will be memorialized in the garden.
After naming Ali, Trump jokingly praised the boxer's legacy in the ring.
"Muhammad Ali, who was not a bad athlete. What do you think? Muhammad, not too bad," Trump said.
Other people Trump named included Aretha Franklin, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King Jr., Frederick Douglass, Billie Holiday, Jackie Robinson and Kobe Bryant.
The Muhammad Ali Center previously told The Courier Journal the cultural center doesn't have a statue of Ali out of respect for his Islamic faith, which forbids idolatry.
Ali's widow, Lonnie Ali, said in a statement that the proposed statue would clash with his faith, but she is grateful that Trump wants to honor him.
"President Trump has been a long time admirer of Muhammad, and I am pleased that admiration continues. I appreciate President Trump’s proposal to honor Muhammad along with other American heroes in a statue garden. A statue erected in Muhammad’s honor would not be in accordance with his Islamic teachings," she said. "I am grateful for the President’s desire to commemorate Muhammad’s life and legacy as an American hero, a humanitarian who loved all people."
Feb 24, 1971; Miami Beach, FL, USA: FILE PHOTO; Muhammad Ali trains on the heavy bag at the 5th Street Gym in Miami Beach during his training for his world heavyweight title bout with Joe Frazier (not pictured). Mandatory Credit: Larry Spitzer/The Courier-Journal-USA TODAY Sports
What is the National Garden of American Heroes?
Trump initially called for the National Garden of American Heroes in a 2020 executive order that former President Joe Biden overturned in 2021. In January, a new executive order revived the project and said the project should be finished as "expeditiously as possible."
Trump's original goal was to complete the park before the country's 250th anniversary in 2026.
While a final site for the garden has not been selected, Trump said during the ceremony that his administration is working to determine its location.
"It's between various states that want it very badly," he said.
The recent executive order says 250 American heroes will be included in the memorial.
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