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Former President Barack Obama will donate his pair of boxing gloves autographed by Muhammad Ali to his presidential library.
The Obama Foundation announced the donation in a statement Wednesday.
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An aerial view shows the Obama Presidential Center under construction in Chicago’s Jackson Park, where the privately run campus is being built in a public park. (Fox 32 Chicago)
“Ali’s story has been an inspiration to President Obama, who kept this gift of red Everlast boxing gloves with Ali’s inscription on display in the White House throughout his presidency,” the organization said. “They were a reminder of a quality the president most admired in Ali: ‘his unique ability to summon extraordinary strength and courage in the face of adversity, to navigate the storm and never lose his way.'”
American boxer Muhammad Ali (left) and British boxer Joe Bugner fighting a fight. Ali won the 12-round fight in 1975. (GETTY)
Following Ali’s death in 2016, Obama honored him as a man who “fought for what was right” and helped shape modern America. However, Obama did not attend Ali’s funeral due to a scheduling conflict.
The Obama Presidential Center has been the subject of controversy since its announcement in 2015. Challenges have included lawsuits over the use of public lands, concerns about gentrification and community displacement on Chicago’s South Side, and recent criticism of its Brutalist architectural design and illegible text on the museum’s 225-foot tower.
A recent Pak Gazette Digital investigation found that taxpayers are footing the bill for the rising public infrastructure costs needed to support the project, and no government agency is able to provide an accounting of the full public cost, despite months of inquiries and FOIA requests.
The Obama Foundation, which is funding construction of the center, defended the project in a statement to Pak Gazette Digital.
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An aerial view shows construction underway at the Barack Obama Presidential Center on August 20, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. The museum, library and educational center in Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood is being built to commemorate Barack Obama’s presidency and is scheduled to open in 2026. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
“The Obama Foundation is investing $850 million in private funds to build the Obama Presidential Center and give back to the community that made the Obamas’ story possible,” said foundation spokeswoman Emily Bittner.
“After decades of underinvestment on Chicago’s South Side, OPC is catalyzing investments, from both public and private sources, to create economic opportunities for residents through jobs, housing, and public spaces and services.”
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