{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-morgan-mcgarvey-and-gregory-meeks-lead-congressional-colleagues-calling", "Reps. Morgan McGarvey and Gregory Meeks Lead Congressional Colleagues in Calling for Creation of Muhammad Ali Postage Stamp", "2023-07-21", "2023", "2023-07", "Democrat", "House", "KY", "Morgan McGarvey", "M001220", "mcgarvey.house.gov", "mcgarvey", "https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 21, 2023) \u2013 Today, Congressman Morgan McGarvey (KY-03) and Congressman Gregory Meeks (NY-05) led their Congressional colleagues in sending a letter to the United States Postal Service\u2019s (USPS) Citizens\u2019 Stamp Advisory Committee calling for the creation of a Muhammad Ali postage stamp. The letter highlights Muhammad Ali\u2019s accomplishments both inside and out of the boxing ring and recognizes his contributions to justice and progress in the United States.\n\n\u201cMuhammad Ali is an inspiration to generations of Louisvillians and Americans,\u201d said Rep. McGarvey. \u201cI\u2019m proud to honor his legacy and work alongside my colleagues to have his image on a postage stamp. From his accomplishments in the boxing ring to his global humanitarian work, Muhammad Ali\u2019s steadfast commitment to advancing civil and human rights makes him more than deserving of this recognition. It\u2019s high time we get the champ a stamp.\u201d\n\n\u201cMuhammad Ali's life journey was an embodiment of courage, conviction, and determination,\" said Rep. Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05). \u201cA postage stamp honoring his remarkable legacy would immortalize a man who fought not only opponents in the ring but also the injustices of his time. Let us unite in recognizing the unparalleled contributions of Muhammad Ali, a true champion for civil rights, peace, and equality. Through a stamp, we can send his message of inspiration to every corner of the world, ensuring that his spirit continues to ignite hearts and minds for generations to come. In the great words of Mr. Ali himself, \u2018I should be a postage stamp, because that's the only way I'll ever get licked.\u2019\u201d\n\n\u201cDuring his lifetime, my husband was one of the most recognized and beloved individuals on the planet,\u201d said Muhammad\u2019s wife, Lonnie Ali. \u201cAs an athlete, social justice activist, and humanitarian, he touched people on a personal basis, and inspired literally millions to do better, and to be better. Muhammad was always humbled by all the attention, and he would be humbled today to know that so many people and organizations around the country are supportive of having his image appear on a U.S. Postal Service stamp. I am especially appreciative for Congressman McGarvey\u2019s support, as Muhammad was always proud to hail from Louisville, Kentucky.\u201d\n\nThe letter was signed by Reps. Gregory Meeks (NY-05), Andr\u00e9 Carson (IN-07), Troy Carter (LA-02), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Jim Clyburn (SC-06), Al Green (TX-09), Steven Horsford (NV-04), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Barbara Lee (CA-12), Gwen Moore (WI-04) Eleanor Holmes Norton (DEL-DC), Donald Payne (NJ-10), Bennie Thompson (MS-02), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) Nikema Williams (GA-05), and Frederica Wilson (FL-24). The full text of the letter is below:\n\nWe write today to express our support for the creation of a postage stamp commemorating the extraordinary life and accomplishments of Muhammad Ali. The greatest heavyweight boxer in history and most celebrated sportsman of the 20th century, Ali\u2019s accomplishments in the ring were surpassed only by his role as a champion for civil rights, peace, and equality, and we believe they merit this recognition.\n\nBorn Cassius Clay in Louisville\u2019s Smoketown neighborhood, Ali began boxing at age 12 after his brand new bike was stolen. With lightning quick feet and fists, the Louisville Lip took Olympic gold at the 1960 games in Rome, won the world heavyweight title at the age of 22, and \u2013 after a three year absence from boxing \u2013 took part in the greatest boxing matches of boxing\u2019s greatest age. His accomplishments in the ring are well documented and recognized. Not just the greatest heavyweight of all time, or greatest boxer of all time, Sports Illustrated named him the Sportsman of the Century in 1999, and the same year, the BBC called him the Sports Personality of the Century. He was, and is, The Greatest.\n\nAli\u2019s dominance inside the ring was matched only by his reach outside the ring. When he was drafted to fight in the Vietnam War, Ali asserted a conscientious objection\u2014citing his conversion to Islam and the injustice he observed against Black Americans during the Civil Rights Movement. His protest, which preceded the anti-war sentiment that eventually swept the nation, cost him the prime of his career, which was only revived after the Supreme Court sided with him unanimously three years later. But he never threw in the towel; his fidelity to his beliefs inspired the most influential Black athletes of his time to stand with him and put their careers at risk during the now-iconic Cleveland Summit\u2014cementing the influence of athletes in combatting social injustice.\n\nIn the face of Jim Crow segregation, Ali rose as a beacon of hope for the future. After becoming heavyweight champion, Clay changed his name to Muhammad Ali, meaning beloved of God, to demonstrate his convictions about racial injustice. During his exile from boxing, Ali gave rousing speeches at college campuses across the nation, encouraging them to roll with the punches as they called for an end to the Vietnam War and to white supremacy. He visited Chicago the summer after the West Side uprising of 1966 and started amateur boxing leagues to keep at-risk Black youth out of harm\u2019s way. After Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, Ali spoke to the Poor People\u2019s March on Washington in 1968 during their stop-over in Louisville, encouraging them to persevere on their journey to the nation\u2019s capital in Dr. King\u2019s honor.\n\nIn addition to his civils rights activism, Ali was a staunch advocate for people suffering from degenerative brain diseases. Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson\u2019s Disease in the early 1980s and lived with the disease for almost half his life, but his spirit was never on the ropes. Along with his wife, Lonnie, Muhammed opened the Muhammed Ali Parkinson Center in Phoenix to serve as a hub for people suffering from the disease and advocated for increased Parkinson\u2019s research funding in Congress. His indomitable will and magnetic personality showed the nation and the world how to live a fulfilling life after a Parkinson\u2019s diagnosis. In 2005, Muhammed and Lonnie Ali also co-founded the Muhammed Ali Center in their hometown of Louisville to carry his legacy and continue inspiring people for generations to come.\n\nMuhammed Ali is an icon of Louisville, our country, and the world. His unparalleled contributions to civil rights, sports, and culture cannot be overstated. A man of many notable quips, Ali once aptly stated, \"I should be a postage stamp. That's the only way I'll ever get licked.\" We could not agree more. It\u2019s far past time that we get the Champ a stamp. Thank you for your consideration to our request.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:18:03Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://mcgarvey.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-morgan-mcgarvey-and-gregory-meeks-lead-congressional-colleagues-calling"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.0296419970691204, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}