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“How could they not see he was a genius.”
“Ezzard Charles: A Boxing Life,” William Dettloff
I Am Ezz
On a canvas created for ArtWorks’ 100th mural, “I Am Ezz” is an audio/visual anthem dedicated to Cincinnati legend, Ezzard Charles.
In 12 verses of spoken word layered atop a record from George Russell’s 1961 album, “Ezz-thetics”, “I Am Ezz” follows our unlikely hero on his epic journey from the Jim Crow South through Cincinnati’s West End to an against-all-odds rise as champion of the world—inside the ring and out.
Liberty Street & Republic Street
Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati, Ohio
October 13 - 16, 7:00pm - 11:00pm
I am Ezzard Charles.
I am humble, Southern beginnings.
I am the Great Migration, a dream for better days.
I am my mother, her mother, my great-grandmother.
I am the West End kid and a Community of love.
I am a son, a husband, a father, and friend.
I am my faith, my family, and my craft.
I am jazz and rhythm and style and soul.
I am a path, a beacon, a legacy of goodwill.
I am a fighter, the hard knocks, and the heart in your corner.
I am the Cincinnati Cobra.
Special Thanks
“I Am Ezz” wouldn’t be possible without our families, friends, supporters and collaborators. We love you all!
Ezzard Charles Family
West End Neighborhood
West End Community Council
Seven Hills Community Houses
Cincinnati Parks Foundation
CHAATRIK Architecture & Urban Design
John Hebenstreit
Andrew VanSickle
Jennifer Spieser
Jaipal Singh
Kailah Ware
Mike Ruehlman
Tia Brown
Mike Brown
ArtWorks
MadTree Brewing
And all the good folks at BLINK Cincinnati