Ties Together the Past with the Present in an Unconventional Way
Louisville, KY — As the call for racial justice and equality in America is louder now than ever before, the Muhammad Ali Center has created an exhibition to educate and help others learn from the country’s past in order to foster a better future. Truth Be Told: The Policies that Impacted Black Lives is an exploration of those policies that are linked to systematic racism in America, from the early 1600s, up to present day.
Truth Be Told offers visitors the opportunity to learn about the history of Black people in our country that is often left out of, misinterpreted, or even falsified in our history books. It is critical that the facts of our collective American history be told so that the negative outcomes that these policies produced can be understood, recognized, and amended.
The exhibition’s content will be posted on authentic plywood panels that were used on buildings in the Louisville protests and marches. These panels, originally used as barriers, will be repurposed as the platform on which we are sharing this important history. Truth Be Told also features a spray-painted mural created by Louisville artist Braylyn Resko Stewart.
Said Donald Lassere, President and CEO of the Muhammad Ali Center, “It important for everyone to understand that our frustration, anger, and outrage stems not only from the disproportionate unjust killing of black folk but truth be told, we are frustrated from 400 plus years of policy upon policy that has rooted systemic racism into the fabric of this nation.”
Truth Be Told is sponsored by NASCAR and Block by Block.
“The work of the Ali Center in telling the stories of African Americans and their contributions to our culture is vitally important in building unity and bridging the racial divide in our country,” said Dawn Harris, NASCAR Managing Director, Diversity and Inclusion. “The scenes documented in the Ali Center’s powerful Truth Be Told exhibit should remind us all of the critical need to stand together in the fight against racism and racial injustice.”
“Block by Block is honored to support the Muhammad Ali Center as it visually shares the history of how persons of color have been unjustly treated for decades,” said Blair McBride, President of Block By Block. “This is a powerful exhibit that hopefully will bring much-needed awareness to a world that needs more understanding, empathy, and love. We at Block by Block are honored to have played a role in bringing this exhibit to life.”
The call to action for Truth Be Told is to Learn, Share, and Vote. Museum patrons will: LEARN the true history of the policies that have affected Black people; Be encouraged to SHARE what they have learned with anyone who will listen, And hopefully, will be motivated to VOTE for the people on the ballot who will make the right decisions for all people in this country.
Truth Be Told is open now through Sunday, April 18th, 2021. Exhibit entry is included in the regular admission price. For more information on this exhibit and Ali Center’s hours of operation, visit AliCenter.org.
About the Muhammad Ali Center
The Muhammad Ali Center, a 501(c)3 corporation, was co-founded by Muhammad Ali and his wife Lonnie in their hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. The international cultural center promotes the Six Core Principles of Muhammad Ali (Confidence, Conviction, Dedication, Giving, Respect, and Spirituality) in ways that inspire personal and global greatness and provides programming and events around the focus areas of education, gender equity, and global citizenship. The Center’s headquarters also contains an award-winning museum experience, and in 2020, became one of the newest stops on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail. For more information, please visit AliCenter.org.
For press inquiries, contact Muhammad Ali Center at (502) 992-5301 or (502) 640-6077 or jkahnke@alicenter.org