Joe Louis

Joe Louis In Action! (Yahoo.com)

On May 13, 1914 in Lafayette, Alabama, a child is born to Munroe and Lillie Barrow. His given name is Joe Louis Barrow.

In 1932 Joe loses his first amateur boxing match, but he doesn't give up and manages to become the legemd that he is today. In 1934 he wins both the Detroit Golden Gloves AND the Amateur Athletic Union light-heavy-weight titles. He also moves to Chicago, Illinois in order to train with Jack Blackburn. He wins his first professional fight, beating Jack Kracken in the first round on July fourth, 1934.

The next year he defeats Primo Carnera in six rounds on June 25th. He beats Max Baer in four rounds on September the 24th. He also marries his first wife, Marva Trotter.

In 1936 Joe appears in his first film, "Spirit of Youth", but he also loses a match to Max Schemling in twelve rounds on June 18th. Later in the month, he makes a strong comeback, defeating James Braddock in eight rounds, on June 22nd, which wins him the heavyweight title. Louis is the first African American to hold the status of national hero.

In 1937 he proves that he is deserving of the limelight when he becomes the youngest heavyweight champion in the history of professional boxing. In 1938 as he is making his entrance into Madison Square Garden, he is quoted as saying, "I not only fight the battle of my life to revenge the lone blot on my record, but I fight for America against the challenge of a foreign invader, Max Schmeling. This isn't just one man against another or Joe Louis boxing Max Schmeling, it is the good old U.S.A. versus Germany."

A hero to me is someone who is multi-talented. Joe Louis was not only a boxer, he was in movies, he was a role model. He was a hero for the young black man before there were supposed to be any heroes for people of color. Joe Louis is my hero.