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Former President Barack Obama will donate his pair of autographed Muhammad Ali boxing gloves to his presidential library.
The Obama Foundation announced the donation in a statement Wednesday.
“Ali’s story has been an inspiration to President Obama, who kept this gift of red Everlast boxing gloves, inscribed by Ali, on display at the White House throughout his presidency,” the organization said.
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An aerial photo shows the Obama Presidential Center under construction in Chicago’s Jackson Park, where the privately run campus is being built on public parkland. (Fox 32 Chicago)
“They were a reminder of a quality the president admired most in Ali: ‘his unique ability to summon extraordinary strength and courage in the face of adversity, to navigate the storm and never get lost.'”
American boxer Muhammad Ali, left, and British boxer Joe Bugner during a fight in 1975. (Getty)
After 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 public land use, concerns about gentrification and community displacement on the South Side of Chicago, and recent criticism of its architectural design and illegible text on a 225-foot museum tower.
A recent Pakinomist Digital investigation found that taxpayers are footing the bill for rising public infrastructure costs required to support the project, and no government agency can provide an accounting of the total public costs despite months of inquiries and FOIA requests.
The Obama Foundation, which is funding the center’s construction, defended the project in a statement to Pakinomist Digital.
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An aerial photo shows construction underway at the Barack Obama Presidential Center on Aug. 20, 2025, in Chicago. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
“The Obama Foundation is investing $850 million in private funding to build the Obama Presidential Center and give back to the community that made Obama’s story possible,” said Emily Bittner, a spokeswoman for the foundation.
“After decades of underinvestment on the South Side of Chicago, OPC catalyzes investment, from both public and private sources, to create economic opportunity for residents through jobs, housing and public spaces and amenities.”
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