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"Pvt. Joe Louis Says - We're Going to do our part"

Joe Louis, the famous heavyweight boxing champion, served in the Army from 1940 to 1942, appearing in exhibition matches as well as this recruitment poster. A few years earlier, Louis had defeated German heavyweight Max Schmeling, a symbol of the supposed "Aryan superiority" touted by the Nazi regime. Of his decision to join a segregated U.S. Army, Louis explained, "Lots of things wrong with America, but Hitler ain't going to fix them."

External Link: www.archives.gov

Source | "Pvt. Joe Louis Says - We're Going to do our part ...", poster, 1941-1945, Office of Emergency Management/Office of War Information, from National Archives, Powers of Persuasion, http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/powers_of_persuasion/united_we_win/images_html/private_joe_louis_says.html.
Creator | Office of Emergency Management/Office of War Information
Item Type | Poster/Print
Cite This document | Office of Emergency Management/Office of War Information, “"Pvt. Joe Louis Says - We're Going to do our part",” SHEC: Resources for Teachers, accessed March 29, 2024, https://shec.ashp.cuny.edu/items/show/1189.

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