Joe Louis Barrow, born in Chambers County, Alabama, on May 15, 1911, became known as the Brown Bomber, for his remarkable boxing career. His fascination for boxing began when a friend introduced him to the gym at the age of 16. He would use money given to him for violin lessons by his mother to pay for use of the gym. Louis's boxing career proved to be impressive due to the few boxers who would be able to get close to his achievements. Besides facing his opponents in the ring, Louis would also be fighting against the prevailing racial prejudices felt by African Americans of the time.
Photo: Acklands Museum Joe Louis Barrow became known as Joe Louis when he ran out of space to print his full name on the form for his first amateur fight. Louis would acquire an amateur record of 50-4 (wins-losses,) placing in the Golden Gloves finals in 1933. He would also win the National Amateur Athletic Union in 1934. These impressive feats would capture the attention of a wealthy African American businessperson, John Roxborough, who ran a real estate office as a coverup for gambling operations. Roxborough recognized Louis's potential and helped develop his professional career by providing him a manager Julian Black, an African American nightclub owner and gambling organizer. With these two men guiding him, Louis’s professional career would soon set him apart from other boxers. He won a total of sixty-eight matches, losing only three and winning the first twenty-seven bouts. He would also hold onto his heavyweight title for eleven years, a record lasting today. However, one match alone will determine Louis's fame and legacy in the world of boxing.
Louis would suffer his first professional loss to German Max Schmeling at the Yankee Stadium, resulting in a knockout in the twelfth round. Louis would win the heavyweight champion title a year later but refused to recognize himself as such until his rematch with Schmeling. The rematch between Schmeling and Louis would take place at the Yankee Stadium on June 22, 1938. German leader, Adolf Hitler, hoped to witness the defeat of Louis to prove his theology of white superiority. Yet, Louis would defeat Schmeling in the first round, lasting only two minutes and forty seconds.
With his win, Louis chipped away at the superior Aryan race belief held not only by Germany at the time, but also the U.S. With his illustrious boxing career, he became a symbol of hope, pride, strength, and dignity for African Americans against the Jim Crow laws and segregation in the U.S and abroad. Further, Louis's victories made him the first African American to achieve the status of a national hero. Louis said, "The one-time cotton picker was now the heavyweight champion of the world." However, his boxing career would be halted in 1942.
Louis enlisted into the military during World War II. His service consisted of raising funds for Army Emergency Relief and promoting enlistment to the Army through boxing matches. Louis’s prolific boxing abilities encouraged the advancement of other African American soldiers and athletes in the military. For example, famous baseball player Jackie Robinson, assisted by Louis, would be accepted into the Army Officer Candidate School. After the war ended, Louis returned to boxing, where he held on to his title four more times before retiring in 1949. Yet, due to financial difficulties caused by back taxes he owed, Louis soon returned to boxing. Louis's comeback would end in 1951, when he lost to Rocky Marciano. He would later make television appearances and even attempt professional wrestling. The government would eventually pardon Louis's tax debt. Joe Louis succumbed to a heart attack in 1981 and currently rests in the Arlington National Cemetery. He received full national military honors due to President Reagan waiving the requirements for burial. The legacy left behind by Louis's magnificent boxing career would create a path for future generations of African American athlete activists to further advance the civil rights movement in America.
Additional Information:
Louis would suffer his first professional loss to German Max Schmeling at the Yankee Stadium, resulting in a knockout in the twelfth round. Louis would win the heavyweight champion title a year later but refused to recognize himself as such until his rematch with Schmeling. The rematch between Schmeling and Louis would take place at the Yankee Stadium on June 22, 1938. German leader, Adolf Hitler, hoped to witness the defeat of Louis to prove his theology of white superiority. Yet, Louis would defeat Schmeling in the first round, lasting only two minutes and forty seconds.
With his win, Louis chipped away at the superior Aryan race belief held not only by Germany at the time, but also the U.S. With his illustrious boxing career, he became a symbol of hope, pride, strength, and dignity for African Americans against the Jim Crow laws and segregation in the U.S and abroad. Further, Louis's victories made him the first African American to achieve the status of a national hero. Louis said, "The one-time cotton picker was now the heavyweight champion of the world." However, his boxing career would be halted in 1942.
Louis enlisted into the military during World War II. His service consisted of raising funds for Army Emergency Relief and promoting enlistment to the Army through boxing matches. Louis’s prolific boxing abilities encouraged the advancement of other African American soldiers and athletes in the military. For example, famous baseball player Jackie Robinson, assisted by Louis, would be accepted into the Army Officer Candidate School. After the war ended, Louis returned to boxing, where he held on to his title four more times before retiring in 1949. Yet, due to financial difficulties caused by back taxes he owed, Louis soon returned to boxing. Louis's comeback would end in 1951, when he lost to Rocky Marciano. He would later make television appearances and even attempt professional wrestling. The government would eventually pardon Louis's tax debt. Joe Louis succumbed to a heart attack in 1981 and currently rests in the Arlington National Cemetery. He received full national military honors due to President Reagan waiving the requirements for burial. The legacy left behind by Louis's magnificent boxing career would create a path for future generations of African American athlete activists to further advance the civil rights movement in America.
Additional Information:
- "Joes Louis" Encyclopedia of Alabama: http://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1601
Author
Miguel Mora is a first-year student who is majoring in chemistry at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. He lives in Gardendale, Alabama where he attended school. He plans to become a pharmacist after graduation. He makes time to enjoy his hobbies: fitness, watching anime, enjoying nature, and spending time with family.
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