Floyd Mayweather Jr. will be in town to host an anti-violence panel at the DuSable Museum of African American History on Saturday.
The former heavyweight champion boxer, who has also plead guilty multiple times to domestic violence charges, will be joined by moderator Karen Civil and various panel participants including tattoo artist Ryan Henry, rapper Bump J. and local activist D. Nash for “Guns Down, Gloves Up,” at the museum, located at 740 E. 56th Place.
“By exposing the affected demographic to non-traditional careers such as those of our panelists including celebrities, influencers, and activists, we hope to bring hyperlocal solutions to national awareness,” organizers say on an Eventbrite page for the event.
Tickets are on sale now starting at $30 for students and $75 for general admission. There are also VIP tickets ranging from $150 to $5,000 that include various perks.
Mayweather, 38, became one of the most successful boxers of all-time before retiring in 2017. He was the highest-earning athlete in the world last year with an estimated $285 million in earnings, much of it coming from endorsements and his fee for fighting MMA star Conor McGregor last August.
Mayweather’s success in the ring and popularity outside it has come despite an extensive history of domestic violence that includes pleading guilty to misdemeanor domestic assault and harassment in 2011 for an incident involving an ex-girlfriend Josie Harris.
“Mayweather entered Harris’ home as she slept, yanked her to the floor by her hair, then punched and kicked and screamed cuss words at her in front of their children,” USA Today wrote of the September 2010 incident. “It was the couple’s oldest son, Koraun, who slipped out of the house to alert a security guard to summon police.”
The panel comes amid turmoil at the DuSable Museum that led to seven board members and the CFO resigning. The museum’s CEO, Perri Irmer, downplayed the issues to The Chicago Crusader, saying that the resignations were “just a blip.”
“There are nonprofits all across the country that have issues,” Irmer said. “We have a wonderful board that’s aligned now, and we are excited about our future.”
The event Saturday runs from 4-7 p.m.