Joe Louis: America's HeroBetrayed

Dear Educator:

The story of the great American boxer, Joe Louis, is one of triumph and tragedy. He rose from

poverty in the Deep South and lived under the cruel inequities of the Jim Crow laws, which not

only segregated blacks and whites, but treated blacks as second

class citizens or worse. Louis rose above the prejudice to become

one of the greatest athletes of all time. In 1936, when Louis

suffered a humiliating loss to a German named Max Schmeling,

Adolf Hitler seized the opportunity to promote Schmeling as

proof of Aryan superiority. When Louis defeated Schmeling

soundly in a 1938 rematch, it was Hitler and Nazism that

were humiliated. Louis was heralded as a world hero, but the

glory did not last. Although he was one of the first black

Americans to break the color barrier, he is often overlooked

in historical context.

This dramatic tale is told in the new HBO film, Joe

Louis: America’s Hero...Betrayed premiering on February

23, 2008 at 8 PM Eastern/9 PM Pacific. This study guide,

developed by the curriculum specialists at Young Minds Inspired (YMI) and made

possible by HBO, is designed to enrich your students’ viewing of Joe Louis: America’s

Hero...Betrayed. The study guide features lessons in civics, American history, and

English/Language Arts. Activities include writing, group work, research, and

discussion. You and your students do not need to see Joe Louis: America’s Hero...Betrayed

to use these activities, but viewing the film will enhance student understanding.

We urge you to share this exciting program with other teachers in your school.

Although the materials are copyrighted, you have permission to reproduce them for

educational purposes. And please return the enclosed reply card to let us know your opinion

of the program. We depend on your feedback to continue providing free educational

programs that make a real difference in the classroom.

We are sure these materials will help you explore a compelling individual and period

in American history, and serve as a perfect educational vehicle during Black History

month.

Sincerely,

Dr. Dominic Kinsley

Editor-in-Chief

AMERICA’S HERO...BETRAYED

is the only company developing free, innovative classroom materials that is owned and directed by award-

winning former teachers. Visit our website at www.ymiteacher.com to send feedback and download more free

programs. For questions contact us at YMI, 1-800-859-8005 or email us at [email protected].

AMERICA’S HERO...BETRAYED

How to Use This

Program

This program has been designed for high

school English/Language Arts and history

classes. Please share it with other teachers

as appropriate.

Program Components

● This teacher’s guide

● Three reproducible student activities

● A colorful wall poster depicting Joe Louis

● A reply card for your important feedback

Program Objectives

● To explore the effects of Joe Louis’ life and

accomplishments.

● To compare and contrast Joe Louis’ life

and accomplishments with other Black

American heroes.

● To gain a clearer understanding of racism

and discrimination and how Black

American heroes changed societal views.

How to Use The

Teacher’s Guide and

Poster

● Review and schedule the three activities

into your lesson plans, and photocopy

them for students.

● Photocopy the Resources and Websites list

and distribute to aid in students’ research.

● Display the poster in a prominent location

to promote and engage student interest.

Standards Alignment

This program aligns with English/

Language arts and history national

standards. For details, please visit

www.ymiteacher.com/pdf/joelouis

standards.pdf.

Resources

Beyond Glory: Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling

and A World on the Brink,

by David

Margolick, 2005

Champion – Joe Louis, Black Hero in White

America,

by Chris Mead, Scriber, 1985

Heroes Without a Country: America’s Betrayal

of Joe Louis and Jesse Owens,

by Donald McRae, Ecco/Harper Collins, 2002

Joe Louis: 50 Years an American Hero,

by Joe Louis Barrow and Barbara Munder,

McGraw Hill, 1988

Joe Louis: A Champ for All America,

by Robert Lipsyte, Harper Collins, 1994

Joe Louis: American fighter,

by David A. Adler, Gulliver Books, 2005

Joe Louis – My Life,

by Joe Louis,

Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1978

The Greatest Fight of Our Generation: Louis

vs. Schmeling,

by Lewis A. Erenberg,

Oxford University Press, 2005

Websites

Interviews, production footage, background,

and to download the HBO Films podcast

www.hbo.com/films/joelouis

American Experience section of the

PBS website, featuring Joe Louis

www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/fight/peopleevents/

p_louis.html

Article on the 1938 Louis-Schmeling fight

in the Legends and Lore section of the

International Boxing Hall of Fame

www.ibhof.com/ibhfhvy5.htm

International Boxing Hall of Fame, Joe Louis

biographical information

www.ibhof.com/jlouis.htm

Joe Louis’s Greatest Fights from ESPN

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/

story?id=2449306

The official Joe Louis website, containing

biographical information, photos, and quotes

www.cmgworldwide.com/sports/louis/

index.php

Joe Louis section on the Congressional

Medal of Honor website

www.congressionalgoldmedal.com/JoeLouis.

htm

The above resources are not affiliated with HBO.

Office, Inc.

HBO

is a service

mark of Home Box

Office, Inc.

Activity One

Read All About It

This activity guides students through a

sports writing assignment as they

consider the

larger

implications

of Louis’

defeat of the

German, Max

Schmeling, in

a historic

boxing match

in the

summer of 1938. Introduce this activity by

leading a class discussion on the global

situation just prior to the start of World

War II. Discuss the following historical

events:

● Upon the death of German president Paul

von Hindenberg, Hitler had used his bul-

lying tactics to have himself declared

Fuhrer, or supreme ruler, of Germany.

● Hitler built up the German army,

threatened the rest of Europe, and

stripped German Jews of their rights as

citizens with the Nuremberg Race Law.

● Hitler’s promotion of Aryan (blond,

blue-eyed) supremacy was known

throughout the world.

● Max Schmeling was an Aryan boxer

whose defeat of Louis in 1936 was used

by Nazis as an example of Aryan

supremacy.

Part A. Tell students that many authors,

including Ernest Hemingway and Joyce

Carol Oates, have found a connection

between boxing and literature. They feel

that a great boxing match somehow tells a

story. Students should begin by using

the

Plot the Fight

graphic organizer to

organize the details of the 1938 Louis-

Schmeling fight -- from the media hype and

build-up, to the actual fight, to the world-

wide effect on morale.

Part B. On the back of the activity sheet,

students compile an outline to organize

their thoughts. Students use this

information to write a sports article

describing the Louis-Schmeling fight and

its implications. Make sure they have seen

examples of sports writing before they

begin. When articles have been completed,

collect and publish them in a class

magazine or post them on a bulletin board

along with copies of original articles about

the fight.

Extensions

Have students debate one of the following

topics about the role of sports in the

political arena:

● Should sports transcend politics or serve

as a forum for political discussion?

● Is there honor in a combative sport, such

as boxing?

● How has commercialism affected the role

of today’s athlete in society?

Activity Two

Outliving

the Legend

This activity guides

students to explore

different American

heroes and their

characteristics.

In Activity One,

students discovered

how Joe Louis

defeated Max

Schmeling in the

rematch of 1938 and

how Louis became

an American hero.

In this activity,

students compare and contrast Joe Louis

to Jackie Robinson. Lastly, students com-

plete an essay in which they compare

and contrast sports heroes, examining

different types of American heroes.

Part A. Joe Louis and Jackie Robinson were

both great American heroes, but are

regarded differently in history. In 1947,

Jackie Robinson was the first black

baseball player to be accepted in all-white

Major League Baseball. Have students

research both individuals, and then ask

them to consider why American society

may have treated these two heroes

differently. Ask them to use the Venn

Diagram to compare and contrast their

accomplishments, the time periods in

which they lived, their personalities, and

their place in history.

Part B. In preparation for an essay

comparing and contrasting Joe Louis and

Jackie Robinson, ask students to outline

their essay in the space provided on the

sheet.

Part C. Joe Louis, as well as many other

athletes, brought about social and political

change. Ask students to select a favorite

athlete and consider this person’s affect on

society today and in the future.

Extensions

● Students should interview their parents,

grandparents or older neighbors about

Joe Louis. Assist students as they

prepare questions for their interview and

review the three P’s of good interviewing:

be polite, be prepared, be poised. You can

compile their interviews for the class to

read.

Activity Three

Joe Louis:

American Citizen

In this activity, students investigate an

essential question of civic responsibility —

what does it mean to be an American

citizen?— in the context of one great man.

In 1982, Joe Louis received the

Congressional Gold Medal, the highest and

most distinguished civilian award in the

United States. Discuss with students the

qualifications and significance of the

Congressional Gold Medal. Next, invite

students to work in small groups to

research Louis and several other recipients

of the award along with the award itself.

Students should investigate

who has received the

award; how recipients

were chosen; and

the variety of

recipients. Lastly,

students have the

opportunity to

nominate someone for

the Congressional Gold Metal

indicating reasons this person is deserving

of such a admirable honor.

Extensions

● Have students create a timeline of the

events of Joe Louis’ life as they parallel

the social and historical events of the

time.

● Ask students to role play, keep a

character diary as Louis, or write letters

from him to express how these events in

his life affected him and his career choice

and success.

HBO

is a service mark of

Home Box Office, Inc.

Part A.

Several famous authors including Ernest Hemingway and Joyce Carol

Oates have written extensively about the sport of boxing. They feel there is a

direct relation between storytelling and boxing reporting, especially when you

consider events leading up to a match and its aftermath.

Using online or library research,

detail the events on the

Plot the Fight

graphic organize below. Be sure to

indicate the characters, build-up,

outcome, aftermath, and

ramifications of the 1938 boxing

match between Joe Louis and

Max Schmeling.

Reproducible Activity Master

AMERICA’S HERO...BETRAYED

Activity One

Read

All About It

In the summer of 1936, when Joe Louis and Max

Schmeling had their first fight, the world was in turmoil,

and the conflict that would become known as World War

II was only three years away. Tensions boiled over as

questions of racial supremacy loomed large. Joe Louis

suffered his first knock-out to Schmeling and the

propaganda war was fueled. Two years later, in their

famous rematch, Louis proved that Nazi doctrine was

not supreme, as he defeated Max Schmeling in a fight

heard round the world.

Part B.

Using the

graphic organizer in

Part A, create an

outline for a newspaper

sports article about

the Louis-Schmeling

fight on the back of

this sheet. Be sure to

include information

about the fight, the

outcome, and the

ramifications world-

wide. Research a

sample of sports

writing to get a sense

of the style for sports

reporting. When you

have completed your

outline and researched

the style, write your

article about the fight

on a separate sheet of

paper.

Watch Joe Louis: America’s Hero…Betrayed on

February

23 at 8PM Eastern/9PM Pacific on HBO.

Characters

Build-Up

Outcome

Aftermath

Ramifications

Box Office, Inc.

All rights

reserved. HBO

is a service mark

of Home Box

Office, Inc.

Plot

the

Fight

Part B.

Use the space below to organize your

thoughts for a compare-and-contrast essay that

you will write on a separate sheet.

Topic Sentence, Paragraph 1 (Louis):

Topic Sentence, Paragraph 2 (Jackie Robinson):

Discussion Points:

Conclusion:

Part C.

Joe Louis might be considered a “quiet”

hero (someone who makes news by his

accomplishments, rather than his bravado).

Choose a famous athlete today. Discuss the

following: Why is this person famous?

Has this person affected social change?

What future accomplishments do you expect from

this athlete?

Predict this athlete’s legacy.

Reproducible Activity Master

AMERICA’S HERO...BETRAYED

Activity Two

Outliving

the Legend

Watch Joe Louis: America’s Hero…Betrayed on

February

23 at 8PM Eastern/9PM Pacific on HBO.

rights reserved. HBO

is a service

mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

Adolf Hitler’s plans for Aryan domination were well under way long before the beginning of World War II. To

aid in this campaign, propaganda before the rematch of Joe Louis and Max Schmeling positioned the fight as

a showcase for conflicting ideologies.

After his triumph over Schmeling, Joe Louis was heralded not only as a great athlete, but as the symbol of

the desired defeat of Nazism and racial discrimination. This was partly due to the public’s hailing him as a

great athlete—not just a great Black athlete. But years later, Louis ended up without money or status,

working in a casino in Las Vegas.

Part A.

Sports heroes play a major role in breaking

down prejudices. Research the life, accomplishments,

and demeanor of two legendary Black athletes –

Joe Louis and Jackie Robinson. Then use this Venn

Diagram to chart their similarities and differences

including their accomplishments, the time periods in

which they lived, their personalities, and their place in

history.

Joe Louis

Jackie Robinson

Joe Louis Jackie Robinson

Nelson Mandela

Accomplishment:

Jackie Robinson

Accomplishment:

Dr. Martin Luther King

Accomplishment:

Elie Wiesel

Accomplishment:

Joe Louis

Accomplishment:

Reproducible Activity Master

AMERICA’S HERO...BETRAYED

Activity Three

Joe Louis:

American Citizen

Watch Joe Louis: America’s Hero…Betrayed on

February

23 at 8PM Eastern/9PM Pacific on HBO.

is a service

mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

The Congressional Gold Medal of Honor – more commonly known as the Congressional Gold

Medal – “is the nation’s highest and most distinguished civilian award. The medal is pre-

sented both for singular acts of exceptional service and for lifetime achievement.” —

(The Congressional Gold)

Many world-famous individuals have received the Congressional Gold Medal of

Honor, such as Sir Winston Churchill, Dr. Jonas Salk, Mother Teresa, and

Simon Wiesenthal. Joe Louis was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal

posthumously in 1982.

Joe Louis: America’s Hero…Betrayed

What do these recipients have in common?

What are some differences?

Who would you nominate today for a Congressional

Medal of Honor and why?

Research the following Congressional Gold

Medal of Honor winners and explain why you think they were awarded this prize

President Ronald Reagan presents the

Congressional Gold Medal to Mrs. Joe Louis

CLIENT: HBO DA

TE:

11.20.07 AGENCY

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AMERICA’S HERO...BETRAYED

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HE FOUGHT FOR A COUNTRY

WHOSE GOVERNMENT WOULDN’T

FIGHT FOR HIM.