Should Louis have fought more than two black men in his 26 title defenses?

Braddock's role?

Perhaps under rated.

You might speculate that team Louis simply made him a better offer than anybody else, but he seems to have been badgering Louis to fight him, before the first Louis Schmeling fight.

Braddock clearly wanted to take on a highly ranked contender, for a big money fight.

 

When he was in the Army Louis was responsible for 18 blacks getting the chance to go for Officers Candidate School,
one of whom was Jackie Robinson who came out of it a Lieutenant.
By refusing to box in front of segregated audiences he was directly responsble for the segregation being lifted.
By his behaviour during the War defending his title gratis twice for the war effort, his War Bond raising, his exhibitions and general morale boosting, and the way he conducted himself in victory, he showed colour is irrelevant in defining a man, its a man's character that counts. He made Black America proud to be black .
And for as pointing White America in the right direction to accept their black people as equals , I think he was a giant .

 

He also broke down the colour line in 3 top US golf clubs .

Louis was no Stokeley Carmichael, but he was a very significant figure in the advancement of blacks in the US imo. So I think it is true and my comments are correct.
I agree emphatically that he should be judged as a fighter , but this thread was not started with that purpose in mind, therefore I think it is entirely legitimate to mention Louis's stance and achievements as a rebuttal to the OP.

 

Rosa Parks, was no Rosa Parks.

She was just a lady who had had a hard day at work, who told an officious ticket inspector, to play with himself.

Sometimes ordinary people, become civil rights figures by accident of fate, and Louis is a case in point!

 

Neither Braddock nor Louis broke the color line. Mike Jacobs did. In Louis he saw a guy he could control the division in, and in Braddock he saw a guy looking to cash in because he and everyone else knew his reign would be short. Without Jacobs backing Louis and dangling greenbacks in front of Braddock that color line would have stayed in place a bit longer.

 

Perhaps the pertinent observation!

 

That's valid!