Does Joe Louis mean more to you than just boxing?

Joe Louis created the genaration of black athletes who came after him whatever their stance.

Without what he did and how he did it there would simply have been no Jackie Robinmson to take a more vocal stance.

I know this truth anoys you but it wont go away however much you put your fingers in your ears and scream "is not".

 

Joe Louis was a hero amoung Americans and made Black Americans proud. He beat Schmeling during a war. He donated his purse to the military. Was a smart man who is quoted by many. He opened doors for many Black Americans and spoke out for equality as a man of influance. He also set a good example. As a champion he is # 1, fought all challengers and defended 25 times....Brown Bomber was loved and an IDOL to many Frank Sinatra and Rocky Marciano, Joe Frazier,George Foreman etc.

 

it sums it up when a young black man was sentanced to death by gas chamber in the gas chamber his last words were

'save me joe louis'

louis was an icon to black people during the 40s but he was also the icon to the younger white people who saw him and respected him. but what was even more surpring the old white people came around to respect him

 

Please stop with the misinformation.
MARCUS GARVEY (MORE MILITANT version of Malcolm X:yikes & Malcolm's inspiration) was at his peak in the 1920/30's & his UNIA had somewhere around 2 MILLION members at it's peak.(Four times the NAACP MEMBERSHIP) MARCUS GARVEY drew crowds in the TENS of Thousands (on par or larger than with Louis wins over Braddock/Schmelling) to hear him speak.

PAUL ROBESON was one of the most outspoken Athletes/Entertainers/Civil Rights activists of his day.

A. Philip Randolph was organizing a MARCH ON WASHINGTON in 1942 for the IMMEDIATE end to government segregation/discrimination, Miltary segregation,etc......which was put on hold due to broken promises by FDR/WWII.
C.O.R.E(Congress on Racial Equality) was founded around Louis' time.
IDA B WELLS,BAYARD RUSTIN , Elijah Muhammad, THE proud Chicago Defender & Crisis(NEWSPapers/journals),etc.....among many other outspoken Black leaders.
THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT did not begin in the 60's dude. TELEVISION/MASS MEDIA simply brought these issues to the forefront unlike NEVER before makng the nation face them, but they had been fought & chipped away at for decades before. These & many more were Louis' peers & Louis was well aware of them . Only they did not own the Heavyweight championship belt. JACK JOHNSON was THE one with few peers speaking out nor any CiVIL RIGHTS orginizations whatsoever in 1908.


Jim Brown says it best when he spoke of Joe Louis to Whites: "You like LOUIS because he's the kind of Negro you want him to be"(humble/docile)

Joe Louis was aware of ALL of these people he instead chose to emasculate himself by living a life of lies instead of taking his testicles back & living as a free man like a Jack Johnson(who lived in a much tougher era) It bothered him greatly later on & is probably why he descended into heroin, financial ruin & speaking to voices in his air conditioner. :-(

 

Whoever he is he has prety big chip on his shoulder.

 

It makes me sick to see people talking bad about Joe Louis, after all he did and the ways he opened for black athletes and black people in general. As if being humble and docile are bad personality traits.

 

Marciano was humble and docile and never talked smack...Louis was of the same mold but they WALKED the WALK in the ring and were the most Voilent docile and humble men with there fists...Class acts

 

When I was a young amateur hitting a heavy bag at Stillman's Gym, a boxer backed into me and apologized. it was Joe Louis; my mouth dropped open.

 

He was a boxer to me. I think people here are overstating the power of sportsmen to influence historical events and affect the great changes in society.