In the story Champion of the World, Maya Angelou defines Joe Louis as a champion because he was "the strongest man in the world" (90). Considered to be one of the greatest heavyweights of all time, Louis was the World Heavyweight Champion from 1937 to 1949. Furthermore, he endured only three defeats out of 72 fights. Although portrayed with limited English such as "winnah" and "champeen", Louis was still capable of defeating Carnera (90). He was living proof that African Americans could overcome white supremacy and stand on equal or even higher ground. By adding allusions to foster a sense of verisimilitude, Angelou reveals that Louis is a symbol of pride for the African American race. Each time he penetrates his opponent, the black race reassures themselves of their equal worth to whites. Each time he retreats and falls to the ground, another Black man is lynched, or a boy whipped and maimed. Thus, Louis represents the entire black community and their aspirations, and his fight in the boxing ring is analogous to blacks' fight for equality and respect. In this sense, Louis is a champion because he has "proved that we were the strongest people in the world" (90). In the ring, Louis argues that his skin color does not make him inferior to whites; the decades of pain and tragedy that the black race has endured only fortifies his fighting spirit as he "[penetrates] every block" (90). Joe Louis is the champion of the world, not only because he wins, but because he fights for equality on behalf of the entire black race.
Champion: a person who fights or argues for a cause on behalf of someone else
Hello, Karen. Nice post. I agree with the point that Joe Louis' success is a step forward for blacks in establishing more respect and equality. However, I must make Angelou's point that there is a disparity between Joe Louis' success in the ring and the racial equality that minorities strive for. Just like how the feminist cause is advanced whenever a woman breaks some barrier in the public eye, it is through the local and real experiences that regular women have that bring feminism success. Though Joe is labelled the Brown Bomber and the Champion of the World, some realities don't follow the dictates of language, as blacks will still be harassed and discriminated against.
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