The death of the legend, Muhammad Ali, has provoked responses from both adults and teenagers alike.
People all around the world are mourning the “greatest”, not only because of his boxing skills, but for his philanthropist heart. Both teens and adults have been expressing their thoughts about the Louisville, Ky. legend on Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and many other social media platforms.
In Louisville, Ali’s hometown, many all-inclusive events have been held to celebrate his life and the marks he made on the world.
Events and tributes in the city have been held at his childhood home, the Muhammad Ali Center, the Kentucky Center for the Arts, and many other local sites. These events have been open to anyone of any age and people have stood in long lines to try to get tickets to the various local events.
When the news of Ali’s death was released, it was immediately the top-trending hashtag on many social networking sites. Teens from all over the world posted and retweeted posts regarding the “champion”.
“Muhammad Ali isn’t important because he was a famous athlete, he is important because he used his celebrity for all the right reasons,” tweeted Harper Carlton, a teen from Louisville and a duPont Manual High School senior. Tweets like these flooded social media feeds all over the world.
Posts from adults also took over social media after Ali’s death.
“The word ‘champion’ has never fit a man better. Muhammad Ali was a champion. A champion for peace. For justice. For equality,” tweeted John Yarmuth, a Louisville Congressman.
Teenagers also expressed their thoughts about Ali and his impact on them. Louisville teens were asked to share the first thing they thought of when they thought of Ali, and many of them had long, defined answers, which expressed their connection with him.
A duPont Manual High School senior, Maria Georgious, said that when she thinks of Ali, the words “peace” and “harmony” strike her thoughts. She continued to say that “he was a man who would stand up for what is right in attempt to unify everyone as a whole.”
The death of Ali has unified the city of Louisville and the world alike. People from all over have gathered in the city to mourn the loss of Ali.
“In 29 years I have never seen this city come together as I have today. #AliFuneral #TheGreatest,” tweeted Louisvillian Steven Hibbs.
His continuous efforts to unify the community were realized at his processional as people from all walks of life gathered on the streets to pay their respects.
Muhammad Ali will always be influential in the ways of boxing and his humanitarianism. All groups of people from all different generations will continue to be inspired by his perseverance, his confidence, and his gentle nature.
Ali once said, “I shook up the world. Me!” And that, he did.

Muhammad Ali’s childhood home in Louisville, Kentucky