Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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Composer and conductor Teddy Abrams reflects on the lead-up to Muhammad Ali’s first fight against Sonny Liston as a work of theater, psychology, sport, and media. He explores how Ali blurred the lines between athlete, artist, celebrity, activist, and entertainer, creating a model of public influence that could only have emerged from America’s history and culture.

Part of Art of America: Iconic Works Defining and Shaping the United States, a digital storytelling series from the Aspen Institute Arts Program.