1. Joe Louis Born in Alabama to sharecroppers, moved north to Detroit as part of the Great Migration- African Americans moving from the South to the North searching for industrial jobs He was groomed to be different than Jack Johnson, including rules for behavior. No Black challenger was allowed to box for the championship since Johnson.

2. Joe Louis Cont. Black America embraced Louis as he fought former white Champions Primo Carnera & Max Baer, offering hope during the Great Depression he earned many nicknames the most used was the Brown Bomber In 1936, at 27-0 he took on Max Schmelling (from Nazi Germany) and suffered his first loss

3. Joe Louis He beat Jim Braddock for the heavyweight championship, but still felt that he had to fight Schmelling again His rematch with Schmelling became very political as the Nazis had become an aggressive group in Europe. America embraced Louis, against the Nazi representative. Louis knocked him out

4. Joe Louis After defeating Max Schmelling, he fought many contenders the bum of the month club He then joined the Army as America joined WWII, giving some of his greatest years to his country, he also fought exhibition fights with the gate receipts going to the war effort

5. Joe Louis After WWII, he had financial trouble and major tax debt He won his first few fights after the war and then struggled, retired, returned, retired, returned etc. Finally Rocky Marciano knocked him out and ended his career He then helped break blacks into the PGA America continued to hound Louis for back taxes