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Southern Superstars

Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum

Atlanta

Overlooking the Atlanta skyline, the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum rests on 35 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds with a Japanese garden and a lake.

The museum covers the history and accomplishments of the 39th president of the United States, who is best known as an advocate for human rights. Carter is one of only three presidents to receive the Nobel Peace Prize; he was recognized for the extensive humanitarian work he has carried out through the Carter Center, a nonprofit organization he co-founded with his wife, Rosalynn. The Carter Center has made a major international impact through the eradication of diseases like guinea worm, which afflicted an estimated 3.5 million people in 1986 and has since decreased to 30 known cases worldwide.

During his time in office, Carter was an outspoken champion for racial equality, energy conservation and diplomatic relations with foreign countries. He was the first U.S. president to establish trade agreements with China and later played a crucial role in orchestrating the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty of 1978, thus ending a turbulent 30-year conflict between the two countries.

When President Bill Clinton awarded both Carter and his wife the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1999, he said, “Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter have done more good things for more people in more places than any other couple on the face of the Earth.”

A few highlights of the museum include a life-size replica of the Oval Office, an immersive “Day in the Life of a President” visual experience on 13-foot screens and a walk-through cabin exhibition on Camp David meetings. Guests can also engage with an interactive map to view areas of the world where the Carter Center works to combat disease and promote human rights. 

www.jimmycarterlibrary.gov

Muhammad Ali Center

Louisville, Kentucky

The award-winning Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky, takes visitors on a chronological journey through the life of one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century: world-champion boxer Muhammad Ali.

Known for his wit, confidence and humor, Ali inspired fans in and out of the boxing ring. Growing up in the segregated South, he experienced discrimination and prejudice firsthand, leading him to become an outspoken activist against racial inequality. For many people, he embodied the new wave of black pride that emerged during the civil rights movement of the 1960s.

Ali famously said, “I am America. I am the part you won’t recognize. But get used to me. Black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own; get used to me.”

Ali gained international acclaim after winning a gold medal at the 1960 Olympics in Rome and went on to become the first and only three-time World Heavyweight Champion.

Groups can watch an orientation video at the beginning of the museum’s exhibit area and then browse sections that highlight Ali’s six core principles: confidence, conviction, dedication, giving, respect and spirituality. Beyond his sports career, the museum also explores Ali’s art, poetry and lifelong humanitarian efforts.   

www.alicenter.org