Louisville — Postal officials unveiled a commemorative stamp of boxing legend Muhammad Ali in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, on Thursday, featuring a photo of the champ in his fighting prime.
The Postal Service printed 22 million of the Ali stamps, which feature an Associated Press photo from 1974 showing the fighter holding up his gloves in a fighting stance. His last name, in bold black and red all-cap lettering, accents the stamp.
This image released by the United States Postal Service shows a commemorative Muhammad Ali stamp featuring a 1974 Associated Press photo of him.
United States Postal Service via AP
“We honor Muhammad Ali here in his hometown, a city that shaped him and that he reshaped forever,” said longtime broadcaster Bob Costas, who hosted the unveiling event.
The champ’s friends and family gathered to celebrate the issuance of the stamp, which went on sale Thursday.
“This stamp will travel millions of miles, it will pass through countless hands, but it will quietly remind the world of a man who dared to believe that kindness could be powerful and that being in service to others could be heroic,” said his widow, Lonnie Ali.
The stamp amounts to a full-circle moment for a man once rejected by the U.S. government after he refused military induction during the Vietnam War, a decision that cost Ali his heavyweight title, led to a boxing suspension and threatened him with prison time, CBS Louisville affiliate WLKY points out.
“He paid the consequences, but rose again,” former Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer observed.
The outspoken three-time heavyweight champ mesmerized the world with his brash poetry and personality. He stayed in the spotlight in his post-fighting days by continuing his philanthropy and support of human rights issues. In his boxing days, Ali once quipped that he should be on a postage stamp because “that’s the only way I’ll ever get licked.”
The Forever Stamps come with a stamp sheet that also features a photo of Ali posing in a pinstripe suit, a recognition of his work as an activist and humanitarian.
Born Cassius Clay Jr., Ali, who changed his name after converting to Islam, died in 2016 at the age of 74 after living with Parkinson’s disease for more than three decades. He is buried in Louisville.
During his lifetime and posthumously, the man known as The Greatest has received numerous awards, including an Olympic gold medal in 1960, the United Nations Messenger of Peace award in 1998, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005.
The “pebble in your shoe” metaphor perfectly describes how small annoyances can slowly wear you down and ruin your day. Here are common pebbles that might be in your shoe and the best ways to remove them.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, but no one said you had to wear uncomfortable shoes
If you’ve ever been on a long hike, then you know the importance of comfort and how even one minor annoyance can make the whole journey far more difficult. You walk for miles and miles then suddenly experience an intense pain in your foot. You sit down, remove your shoe, and find a hard rock tightly wedged between your sweaty socks and shoe leather – ouch!
“It isn’t the mountain ahead that wears you out – it’s the grain of sand in your shoe.”
This is a popular motivational quote that is commonly attributed to the famous boxer Muhammad Ali, but the original has been published as far back as 1916 under anonymous authors.
The main idea is that even when it comes to huge goals, it’s often the tiniest things that hold us back and prevent us from accomplishing them. These minor annoyances may seem inconsequential at first, but over time they can cause significant discomfort, irritation, and weakness.
What pebbles are in your shoe? What’s one small change that would make your life infinitely easier? Here’s a list of everyday examples of tiny things that may be holding you back.
Everyday Examples of “The Pebble in Your Shoe”
The “pebble in your shoe” can take many forms — physical, mental, social, and emotional. It can be any small discomfort that grows into a bigger problem over time.
Here’s a list of common everyday examples with potential solutions for each one. Often times the sooner you remove the pebble, the easier things will be in the future.
Workplace Annoyance – A colleague’s constant habit of humming or tapping their pen can be a minor distraction that becomes increasingly irritating over time.
Solution: Mention your distraction in a nonjudgmental way without getting upset at the other person. Hopefully they will be more mindful in the future.
Messy Environment – Messy environments can have a subtle but significant effect on our stress levels and clarity of mind, especially a messy bedroom or car.
Solution: We often underestimate how much better we will feel once we clean something. We put off washing the car for weeks, then when we finally do it we think, “Why didn’t I do this weeks ago?”
Losing One Hour of Sleep – Just losing one hour of sleep can have a spillover effect on the rest of your day, causing you to be more tired, distracted, and moody.
Solution: Try to go to bed one hour early. Set up a nighttime routine that encourages relaxation. Find sleeping preferences that work best for you (temperature, clothes, pillows, etc.) Establish a consistent sleep routine that works for you.
Procrastinating on To-Do’s – The more you put off daily chores or obligations, the more pressing and stressful they become.
Solution: Cultivate a healthy sense of urgency toward easy tasks you can complete in 5 minutes or less. It’s easier to just get a simple task out of the way then to let it sit in your mind for days.
Minor Health Issues – Dealing with ongoing but minor health issues like a slight headache, back pain, or seasonal allergies can be a constant, low-level irritation.
Solution: Plan day accordingly. Take any doctor recommended medications or supplements. Let people know if you’re having an especially bad day, so you may be more cranky than usual.
Negative Personalities – People with negative personalities who constantly nitpick, complain, and talk about problems too much can be draining to be around for extended periods of time.
Solution: We’re influenced by the people we choose to be around through emotional contagion and network effects. If those you spend time around tend to bring out the worst in you, it may be time to find a new group of friends or environment.
Long Lines and Wait Times – Waiting in long lines at the grocery store, DMV, or for public transportation can be a persistent and annoying part of daily life.
Solution: If possible, go to places during times of the day/week when you know they are less busy. Check to see real-time traffic on Google and plan accordingly. Consider getting groceries delivered.
Tech Glitches – Regularly experiencing minor technical problems with gadgets, such as a phone that frequently freezes or a laptop with a temperamental battery, can be very frustrating.
Solution: When possible, fix or replace faulty tech that causes daily errors and frustrations. For awhile my keyboard had a couple broken keys, and it took me far too long to finally get a new one that operated way smoother.
Spam Calls and Emails – Receiving numerous unwanted telemarketing calls or spam emails can interrupt daily activities and become a persistent nuisance.
Solution: Immediately block and remove all spam numbers and emails. Set up caller ID, email filters, and other methods to block spam and advertisements from reaching you.
Misplaced Items – Frequently losing keys, glasses, or other essential items can create a recurring source of irritation and delay.
Solution: Dedicate a single place for certain items. Don’t take them off your person unless you are placing the item in its designated spot.
Household Chores – Small but recurring tasks like taking out the trash, doing the dishes, or folding laundry can feel like never-ending, nagging obligations.
Solution: Get small and easy tasks out of the way early and often. Learn the right mindset for doing things you don’t like, including listening to music or watching TV while doing something boring or tedious.
Repetitive Noises – Ongoing construction noise, a neighbor’s loud music, or people talking loudly can be minor disturbances that cumulatively cause significant discomfort and distraction.
Solution: When possible, block out unwanted noise with headphones, music, or white noise. Find ways to eliminate distractions by changing your environment.
Traffic Jams – Regularly encountering heavy traffic during commutes can be a daily irritant that wastes time and increases stress levels.
Solution: Do some research and find the best and fastest routes during certain times of the day. Have plenty of music or entertaining podcasts you can listen to if you get stuck in traffic.
Uncomfortable Room Temperature – Hot and humid temperatures can make us feel tired and lethargic, hurting our ability to concentrate and get work done.
Solution: Use fans and air conditioner to cool down. Open windows for ventilation. Wear light and breathable clothing. Stay hydrated and drink plenty of water.
Constant Notifications – Continuous alerts and notifications from apps, emails, or social media can disrupt concentration and productivity, becoming a persistent annoyance throughout the day.
Solution: Block or mute ALL notifications that aren’t urgent (texts/calls from family or friends). Create a digital environment that doesn’t have you on hyper alert 24/7.
Removing the “Pebble in Your Shoe”
In general, identifying and removing the pebbles in your shoe can make your life a whole lot easier. Here are core principles to keep in mind:
Identify the Issue Early – Recognize and acknowledge the small issue that’s causing the discomfort. This requires paying extra attention to your environment and how it influences your mental state. A less mindful person may be in a state of constant annoyance but not able to pinpoint the source of it. Try to be more aware of shifts in your mood and what spurs them.
Take Action – Take steps to address and resolve the issue as soon as possible. Often the sooner you take measures to correct something, the easier it will be to fix. This could mean having a conversation with a colleague, fixing a technical problem as soon as you spot it, or getting a quick chore out of the way as soon as you remember it.
Prevent Recurrence – Implement measures to prevent similar issues from arising in the future, such as setting up a more ergonomic workspace, creating healthy boundaries at work or home, scheduling daily chores and regular maintenance checks, or planning your day around avoidable inconveniences.
Remember that pebbles can take many forms which aren’t mentioned here. Take the time to step back, reflect, and ask yourself, “What are the pebbles in my shoe that can be removed?”
Conclusion
Of course, life can be annoying and we can’t always remove every single pebble.
Certain problems, frustrations, and stressors are just a part of everyday life – a nosy coworker, a loud neighborhood, reporting for jury duty, or the minor inconveniences of daily chores and responsibilities.
When you can’t control something, try to accept it with grace. After difficult days, feel free to go back to your comfort zone to recharge yourself.
The key lesson behind the “remove the pebble” philosophy isn’t that life should always be a cakewalk, but that we shouldn’t make life any harder than it needs to be.
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Muhammad Ali, perhaps Louisville’s most famous native, proclaimed that “my greatness came and started in Louisville, Kentucky,” and declared that it was “one of the greatest cities in America.” The Greatest had a point. Louisville is the largest city in the Bluegrass State, and alongside its Southern charm and Midwestern heartiness, it offers a rich history, captivating architecture and green spaces galore. Situated on the Ohio River, the city took its name from the French in 1780—Louisville literally means “Louis’ city,” namechecking King Louis XVI in tribute to his support during the Revolutionary War.
For history and architecture buffs, downtown’s West Main Historical District has the largest collection of cast iron facades anywhere outside of Soho, New York. One of Louisville’s many monikers is Park City, so-called for the 18 parks designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who was also the visionary behind Manhattan’s Central Park.
Kentucky is the birthplace of bourbon, and the spirit’s aficionados can honor that heritage by following the Urban Bourbon trail, which includes bars, restaurants and distilleries serving the tipple across downtown’s Whiskey Row and beyond. Most famously, it is home to the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, “the most exciting two minutes in sport,” which celebrates its 150th anniversary in May 2024.
For a long time, Louisville struggled to attract tourists outside of the Kentucky Derby. But over the last several years, an influx of young creatives, often fleeing high rents in bigger cities, have debuted a dizzying array of buzzy restaurants, trendy bars, locally curated concept stores and craft distilleries that have drawn a steady flow of travelers to the locale known as the Gateway to the South.
The city’s growing popularity has increased demand for stylish hotels. What Louisville lacks in corporate 5-star hotels, it makes up for in swanky properties that embrace the city’s charming quirks. If you’re ready to pack your bags, there are old-world grande dames, Parisian-inspired contemporary stays, an art museum-cum-inn and a hotel built in a former disco factory that’s keeping night fever alive and well. Below, see the best accommodations to book for your next trip to Bourbon City.
Though a noted scholar of Mediterranean culture, history and religion, Katherine Fleming’s love affair with the region was initially less than academic. “I could try and hook up a highfalutin’ academic answer,” she told Observer. “But the real bottom line is that when I was a teenager, I dropped out of college and took a job as a waitress at a Taverna in Crete.”
Fleming, who grew up in Princeton, New Jersey, picked up modern Greek during her “wild, well-spent youth” on the island—a skill that in subsequent years came in handy in her studies of the humanities. “Since I had Greek, I wound up following a course of study that made it possible for me to make use of and deploy it,” she said. But for all the hinted-at shenanigans, the scholarly path she eventually followed didn’t come out of left field for Fleming, the daughter of a literary critic and Episcopal priest. After her adventures in Greece, she earned degrees at Barnard University, the University of Chicago and UC Berkeley before going on to work as a lecturer at several California universities and eventually becoming provost of New York University in 2016.
Today, however, Fleming works in an entirely different field. Since 2022, she has been president and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust, the world’s wealthiest arts institution with an $8.6 billion endowment as of last year. She oversees the Los Angeles-based organization’s Getty Foundation, Getty Research Institute, Getty Conservation Institute and its two museums—alongside the 1,400 employees employed by them. Fleming was hired as a strategist to help unify the Getty’s various entities. “I spent a lot of time thinking about what it means to be a public-facing cultural institution in the 21st Century because it can mean something pretty different from what it meant even twenty-five years ago,” she said.
A new definition of access for art institutions
One of those shifts includes evolved ways of thinking about who should have access to fine art museums. Located in Brentwood and Malibu, the Getty Center and Getty Villa respectively showcase pre-20th-century European art and Greek and Roman antiquities from the Getty’s more than 125,000-piece collection. “The organization is going through the process of trying to think really carefully and creatively about what it means to be wealthy, on top of a hill made of marble, in one of the most expensive neighborhoods in L.A.,” says Fleming. “We have to make that place as welcoming as possible to as many people as possible and to really make the people of the city of L.A. aware of it as theirs.”
A view of the Getty Center in Los Angeles. Shane Gritzinger/FilmMagic
By emphasizing both physical and online visitor experiences, Fleming hopes the Getty will become representative of the kinds of institutionally neutral places that one can visit for a moment of reflection. This is especially important “in an increasingly chaotic world,” says Fleming, when “people are trying to tell people what to think and how to think about things.” In addition to ensuring visitors can interpret holdings in their own ways, without an assumption that one must have attained a certain level of education or have a particular knowledge base to truly appreciate artwork, Fleming wants the Getty museums to be “a kind of public square” where people can gather to enjoy the architecture and ocean views.
Other priorities include investing in the Getty’s public resource features, such as educational programs and teacher curriculums, and continuing major cataloguing and digitization initiatives like its work on the Johnson Publishing Company Archive. The producer of magazines including Ebony and Jet, the publishing company’s trove of images is co-owned by the Getty and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and stands as one of the most significant depictions of Black culture in the 20th Century, with pivotal snapshots of famous figures like Muhammad Ali, Martin Luther King Jr. and Billie Holiday. “I’m very proud to be at an organization that owns that archive and is actively working to make it as widely accessible as possible—and effectively saving that archive from going into private hands,” Fleming said.
Exploring new models of ownership
The Getty CEO is also proud of her decision to commit $17 million to Pacific Standard Time, an arts initiative that brings together institutions across Southern California on a five-year cycle. Renamed PST, its next edition will kick off this September with an emphasis on interactions between art and science. Another major move made under Fleming’s leadership occurred in 2023 when the Getty and London’s National Portrait Gallery jointly purchased the 18th-century Joshua Reynolds painting Portrait of Mai (Omai), which depicts the first Polynesian to visit Britain. “We are in a world in which increasingly we have shared services, we have things that rest on the premise that lots of people should have access to the same goods,” said Fleming. Acquired for $62 million, the work will travel between the two institutions for exhibitions, research and conservation.
The courtyard of the Getty Villa in Malibu. Nick Wheeler/Corbis via Getty Images
Fleming’s enthusiasm for experimenting with ownership models extends beyond collaborative purchases. She cited fractional ownership platforms such as Masterworks and Artex, which offer the opportunity to acquire portions or shares of fine art, as key evolutions in an art market increasingly populated by investors and rising prices. “I don’t know yet what I think of them—it’s too early for me to make a judgment,” she says. “But I find it really, really interesting.”
Her own artistic inclinations reflect her commitment to culture in Los Angeles. Fleming is particularly excited about the rise of L.A.-based artists, like Getty Prize winner Mark Bradford, who are playing a role in shaping the city’s artistic evolution. Other influential creators include Lauren Halsey, whose installations in the South Central neighborhood of Los Angeles address local issues and offer critiques of gentrification, and Catherine Opie, whose photography documents Californian subcultures and queer communities. It’s the artists who are driving the region’s thriving cultural growth, said Fleming, as opposed to “the ecosystems of institutions that sell or curate or present their art.”
Amid an especially dynamic time for the Los Angeles arts community, Fleming believes the Getty needs to continue evolving and strengthening its commitment to the city it has long invested in. Fostering collaboration across the region and expanding its open-access resources are key elements of that mission—as are its plans to turn its physical campuses into more inclusive and welcoming sites. “In a place like L.A., which is so atomized and internal, people are in real need of it.”
“I had heard about it before I read about it,” recalled Seth Abraham, the former head of HBO Sports on its demise. He was president of Madison Square Garden at the time. “It was very, very sad to see that brand sort of go away.”
And away it did with all its great pugilistic memories.
HBO’s first big fight was Joe Frazier vs. George Foreman for the heavyweight championship in 1974, followed by classics like Foreman-Muhammad Ali, Ali-Frazier III, Sugar Ray Leonard-Thomas Hearns I and II, Mike Tyson-Buster Douglas, Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather Jr., and the Arturo Gatti-Micky Ward trilogy to name a few.
Now Showtime Sports, HBO’s longtime rival in televising the sweet science, took a ten count.
The final “Showtime Championship Boxing” broadcast was Saturday, Dec. 16 featuring WBA “regular” super middleweight champ David Morrell Jr. vs. Sena Agbeko.
Their final pay-per-view bout was the David Benavidez vs. Demetrius Andrade bout on Nov. 25 for the WBA interim super middleweight crown won by Benavidez by sixth-round stoppage.
Showtime has had its own run of memorable events like: Marvelous Marvin Hagler-John “The Beast” Mugabi (debut 1986), Tyson-Donovan Ruddock I and II, Tyson-Evander Holyfield I and II, Pernell Whitaker-Julio Cesar Chavez, Mayweather-Canelo Alvarez, Mayweather-Conor McGregor, Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury I, and Errol Spence Jr.-Terence Crawford.
HBO and Showtime even partnered up for Lennox Lewis vs. Tyson and Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao. Now they are both gone.
Boxing fans have always suffered withdrawals as they’ve seen staples like Gillette’s Cavalcade of Sports, USA Tuesday Night Fights and even the Daily News Golden Gloves tournament become extinct.
Just five months ago in a RingTV.com article, Stephen Espinoza, 12 years the president of Showtime Sports stated proudly:
“This is the healthiest boxing has been since I’ve been president of Showtime Sports. The sport is in a fantastic place.”
So, what happened to boxing that just 50 years ago was still a major draw for sports fans? The glory of the 1976 Olympic boxing team hadn’t come into fruition yet. George Foreman was the heavyweight champion of the world and Muhammad Ali and Joe Fraizer were still fighting.
Roberto Duran was still a force at lightweight and “No Mas” wouldn’t happen until 1980.
Closed circuit TV was booming, but now the sport has become the niche-iest of niche sports.
Boxing has done much of the damage to itself.
Take October’s freak show where the WBC heavyweight champion of the world — Tyson Fury — decides to take a non-title fight against the former UFC heavyweight champ who never had a pro boxing match.
Instead of fighting Anthony Joshua which would have been a mega-fight in the UK, or unifying the titles against WBA, IBF and WBO champ Oleksandr Usyk, (which is now a go for Feb. 17 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia), he fights Francis Ngannou, gets dropped in the third round of a scheduled 10-rounder and wins a dubious split decision.
Tyson Fury, of England, the WBC and lineal heavyweight champion, fights with former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, of Cameroon, during their boxing match to mark the start of Riyadh Season at Kingdom Arena, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Yazeed Aldhawaihi)
The biggest problem with boxing are the organizations. If you look at the ratings of the four organizations they have regular champs, super champs, interim champs, champs in recess and don’t forget the “Franchise” champ, whatever that is.
There are also too many weight divisions as two more have been recently added.
The WBC created the bridgerweight division for fighters weighing between 190-224 pounds. It was named after a six-year-old (named Bridger) who saved his sister from a stray dog. True.
Earlier this month, the WBA followed up by creating the super cruiserweight division (200-224) minus the canine hook.
Of course, sanctioning fees will be required for all fighting for these prestigious titles.
The WBC also showed their stupidity by not sanctioning undisputed featherweight champ Amanda Serrano’s October successful title defense against Danila Ramos.
The Brooklyn native was not allowed to defend the WBC portion of her title because she decided to fight, just like the men, in a 12-round, three minute championship contest. The women’s championship bouts are 10-rounds and two minutes.
“The WBC has refused to evolve the sport for equality,” she said to ESPN.com. “So, I am relinquishing their title.”
Then there are the “stripped” champs.
Terence Crawford defeated Errol Spence Jr. in July to unify the welterweight division for the first time in the four-belt era. Crawford added Spence’s IBF, WBA and WBC belts to his own WBO title.
Four months later, the IBF stripped Crawford of their strap and anointed Jaron “Boots” Ennis their new title holder, moving him up from his “interim champ” status.
Got it?
By the way, after Ngannou lost to Fury, the WBC, in its wisdom, installed him at No. 10 in the ratings even after a loss and with a record of 0-1.
Go figure.
Boxing can’t get out of its own way even when they have a good thing going.
This two-part series will take a look at why boxing had such a high broadcast kill rate for HBO and Showtime, and if the sport can be rebuilt.
Boxing, thy name is niche.
* * *
Showtime’s bottom line for 2023 should have made any bean counter flush with joy.
“This year the industry had its first million buy event in April with the Tank Davis-Ryan Garcia fight,” points out R. Thomas Umstead, Senior Content Producer, Programming for Multi-Channel News and Broadcasting and Cable. “Hadn’t seen that in a couple of years and that wasn’t even a fight where you would consider it being a million buy fight.
“There was a lot of marketing in there. It brought in a new audience that we hadn’t seen before in younger viewers.”
Boxing has a numbers problem not with the amount of viewers, but with their age, points out Abraham.
“One of the never ending problems [with boxing] is its audience dying,” he declares. “Men 60, 70, 80 and older who grew up with boxing, they’re dying. Young men [it’s] mixed martial arts. That’s what they’re interested in and the WWE.
“Boxing has failed to replace and replenish its audience.”
Showtime had been in the boxing business for 37 years and was highly successful, but then their parent company — Paramount Global — decided to go in another direction with scripted entertainment and not boxing.
“There will still be boxing,” predicts Abraham. “There’s no question that this sport will exist, but it will exist on a microscopic level, on a very small level, and it will continue to lose fans.”
And what of boxing’s long-term outlook?
“Smaller, smaller, smaller, smaller,” warns Abraham, “and one day pickleball will jump over it.”
Hopefully, that’s far off in the future but boxing better come up with new ideas — and fast.
* * *
The death of newspapers and the loss of boxing writers has also damaged the sport. Sadly, Keith Idec of BoxingScene.com and Mike Coppinger of ESPN.com are the only two full-time boxing writers left in the U.S.
Major newspapers have had no dedicated boxing writer for years and that medium helped grow the sport just like another did in the past.
“The first fight I ever heard on the radio was Joe Louis and Max Schmeling when I was seven-years old,” recalls former HBO boxing analyst Larry Merchant, now 92-years old. Besides working for HBO, Merchant covered sports as a columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News and the New York Post. “That made me want to hear other fights that were on the radio.
“I got interested in Henry Armstrong and Sugar Ray Robinson and others. That’s how it works in America because we do have so much competition.”
Pickleball, anyone?
* * *
For Stephen Espinoza, the head of Showtime Sports, it’s a bittersweet time.
“It’s been 12 years since I embarked on this pretty drastic career change going from an entertainment attorney who had never worked at a TV network before to being the head of a sports division responsible for programming and content,” he said, five weeks before the big shutdown. “I’ve never second guessed or doubted that decision once.”
But as the leader comes the tough decisions especially with layoffs during the holidays.
“It was brutal,” said Espinoza. “Anyone who does sports television makes tremendous sacrifice. We just did a pay-per-view (Benavidez-Andrade) on Thanksgiving [weekend] and to have to deliver this kind of news to people who have dedicated themselves personally and professionally to supporting the sport was absolutely brutal.
“We’ve got several employees who are in excess of 30 year employees and a handful who have been here since the very start of Showtime sports in 1986. That was truly the end of an era and the passing of something really important, not just in the sport of boxing but for televised media overall.”
In Part 2 of this series, boxing experts predict the future of the sport.
Focusing on the early years of his life and career, the documentary tracks Ali, back when he was known as Cassius Clay, on his journey from rookie boxer out of Louisville, Ken., to becoming the world heavyweight champion.
It also follows Ali’s evolution from working class intellectual to one of the most influential civil right advocates in American history, inspired by the teachings of Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad and his friendship with civil rights icon Malcolm X.
