Joe Louis: The Mighty Man

Joe Louis was one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time.  He changed the game and became a symbol for African-Americans everywhere. Louis's cultural impact not only spread throughout the US but also across the world. Maya Angelou shows readers through "Champion of the World" just how significant his win was for African-Americans. In the beginning of his career, many managers and sports commentators did not believe that Joe Louis would make it far because of his color, but obviously they were completely disillusioned.  Louis had 3 losses out of 72 games and held the title from 1937-1949, making him the longest heavyweight titleholder. This goes to show that what you look like shouldn't matter and shouldn't dictate whether you become successful or not. Maya Angelou explains to readers how Joe Louis paved the way for African-American rights because he the whites in America accepted him as a good boxer. Although she wrote her piece with verisimilitude, the emotion from the story still stays with the reader.  You can feel the anticipation and anxiousness of everyone listening to the match and you can imagine different generations of African-Americans gathered around a radio. "Champion of the World" gives us a deeper look into African-American culture and a first hand experience of what they faced during the times of segregation.