Joe Louis

The following image that I chose is of Joe Louis who was a boxing champion in the 1930's and 40's. During the middle of his career he served in World War II. In the picture it shows him in his military uniform. He looks down almost looking sad. All the other men around him are happy because they get to serve along side a great boxing champion. He might feel sad by the fact that he is probably one of the few black men in the military and he is surrounded by white men. During his time in the service he performed in exhibition boxing matches for the troops. He provided the entertainment for the troops to pick up their morale.
Many African Americans felt discriminated against in their own country and then they had to fight for their country which did not give them rights at home. Joe Louis was one of the few beloved black individuals in America because he was a world champion and he defeated Max Schmelling who was a German boxer just before World War II began. His victory over Schmelling symbolized the greatness of America over the evil Nazi Germany. He had to be conflicted because he beloved in one sense but in the other he didn't get all the rights as his white counterparts. When he returned home he knew he wasn't going to get any huge advantages because he was a black man. He would have to go back into boxing and fight for as long as he could to make a living.
Many of the sacrifices of black soldiers for a long time have gone unnoticed. For example the Tuskegee Airmen who flew many missions in World War II. It is only until recently that they are getting recognition for their service. They received the Congressional Medal of Honor for their service last year. It must have been hard for black athletes during this time period because they were loved for their athletic achievement but yet called racist names and discriminated against because of the color of their skin.