Fighting Injustice and Intolerance: Re-Presentations of Race and Religion at the Muhammad Ali Center

Abstract

This article explores the significance of the Muhammad Ali Center as a site where meanings associated with “race” and “religion” are constructed, contested and potentially transformed. The Muhammad Ali Center is examined as an example of an increasing number of cultural institutions (i.e., cultural centers, museums, arts spaces etc.) engaged in the strategic re-presentation of issues of cultural difference and socio-political conflict, towards the ends of promoting social justice and/or human rights. The article draws upon theories and methods in cultural studies, religious studies, and museums studies in order to explore the significance of the representational and curatorial strategies of such cultural institutions for understanding alternative approaches to influencing and/or intervening in public discourses and practices surrounding issues of racial injustice and religious intolerance.

Keywords

• Muhammad Ali
• cultural institutions
• museums
• representation
• curatorial strategies
• racial injustice
• religious intolerance
• spirituality
• African American religions
• cultural studies