The son of a sharecropper, Joe Louis rose through the ranks of amateur and professional boxing to become world heavyweight champion, a title he held from 1937 to 1949. Louis is perhaps best known for his legendary bout against German boxer Max Schmeling. Schmeling defeated Louis when they first fought in 1936, and they had a rematch in 1938, the press gave the bout international political significance, being noted for an epic match between Nazi ideology and American democratic ideals (although Smeling was never a Nazi follower). ). When Louis defeated Schmeling by knockout in the first round, Louis became an American symbol. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayThe son of Alabama sharecroppers, Joe Louis, during his time as world heavyweight champion from 1937 to 1949, was a shining symbol of mythical and real American traits such as racial fighter, mental strength, and endless opportunity. Through an extraordinary combination of terrible events, acceptable behavior, elite behavior, calm press coverage, great boxing talent, America's obsession with sports, and the peculiar goals of the heavyweight boxing champion , Louis became the most popular black in America and one of the most popular of all Americans. While Louis set an incredible record – he successfully defended 25 times in 12 years (four of which he spent in the army) – what helped immortalize him was the context in which his fights took place. In his 1935 defeat of the hulking former heavyweight champion Primo Carnera, who was considered Benito Mussolini's right-hand man, Louis represented self-identified blacks in his fight against domineering Italian enemies. Becoming the first black to hold the heavyweight championship in 22 years with his victory over James J. Braddock in 1937, Louis lifted black spirits at the onset of the Great Depression. At the same time, he gained white acceptance because of his willingness to avoid the bad behavior of the previous black champion, Jack Johnson, who had annoyed white Americans by not "knowing his place." By defeating German Max Schmeling in their second meeting in 1938, as Adolf Hitler and the Nazis took power, Louis provided some assurance that the best Americans could beat the best Germany had to offer. Louis continued to win white approval after joining the army, even though he never saw combat. In addition to his notable achievements and great popularity, Louis may be as important for what he didn't accomplish as for what he did. Like many heroes, he has been credited with many things he didn't do. Commentators, for example, have overestimated its impact on racist attitudes and practices. There is little evidence that Louis' success or that other black athletes have translated into acceptance of blacks or recommended them for roles outside of sports. Where Louis changed attitudes among blacks. His position at the top of his sport, his celebrity status and his public image helped boost the confidence of a people whose heroes rarely received white attention or respect. In the difficult time of the war, his decision to cooperate and become the symbol of a government that was far from fair to him and his people offered a constructive, not so good, course of action. In the end, Joe Louis was another edition of the American myth of the self-made man: anyone.