Joe Louis & Legacy Naming

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

So, now that we know the name of the new arena, we will be losing a significant community landmark named for a real landmark Detroiter, Joe Louis. Gordie Howe will be getting the bridge named after him. Rosa Parks got the bus station. Many former mayors have things named for them. Should we name something else for Joe Louis? If so, what?

Also, any other great Detroiters we should be naming things for? Athletes, artists, political or religious leaders?

I'd think I'd rename the RiverWalk the Joe Louis Riverwalk, with a series of information kiosks and/or sculpture every half mile or so, telling his life story from one end of the esplanade to the other.

I do hope the UA Theatre will be reopened as a music venue and be named for Aretha Franklin.

[bust]

So, now that we know the name of the new arena, we will be losing a significant community landmark named for a real landmark Detroiter, Joe Louis. Gordie Howe will be getting the bridge named after him. Rosa Parks got the bus station. Many former mayors have things named for them. Should we name something else for Joe Louis? If so, what?

How about the renovated Brewster Wheeler Recreation Center? At least.

[renf]

Two important Detroit people who are seldom commemorated are Ralph Bunche and Charles Lindberg.

[Augustus]

Two important Detroit people who are seldom commemorated are Ralph Bunche and Charles Lindberg.

Unfortunately I don't think Ralph Bunche's name has that much star power, and, from skimming his wiki article, although he was born here I don't think Lindbergh actually spent that much time in Detroit.

[jiminnm]

There's always the fist.

[Scottathew]

We can name the fist after him. "The Joe Louis fist of Joe Louis, Presented by Little Ceasars, Powered by Quicken Loans."

[1953]

Let's rename city airport after Boeing.

And Comerica Park can be renamed Joe Louis Park.

[Bigdd]

Should we name something else for Joe Louis? If so, what?

There's the large Black Power fist downtown. That's pretty noteworthy.

[dtowncitylover]

There's the large Black Power fist downtown. That's pretty noteworthy.

Or it's because he was a boxer. But that's none of my business.

[dtowncitylover]

We can name the fist after him. "The Joe Louis fist of Joe Louis, Presented by Little Ceasars, Powered by Quicken Loans."

The Joe Louis Little Caesars powered by Rocket Mortgage Detroit Fist.

[Zads07]

I'd think I'd rename the RiverWalk the Joe Louis Riverwalk, with a series of information kiosks and/or sculpture every half mile or so, telling his life story from one end of the esplanade to the other.

I do hope the UA Theatre will be reopened as a music venue and be named for Aretha Franklin.

I actually love this idea. It not only provides a great name for the Riverwalk, but informational and educational is even better. When I go to a new city or new place, I want to learn about the history there and this is a great way to do that.

Also, would love to see an announcement on the UA Theatre soon too.

[SDCC]

So, now that we know the name of the new arena, we will be losing a significant community landmark named for a real landmark Detroiter, Joe Louis. Gordie Howe will be getting the bridge named after him. Rosa Parks got the bus station. Many former mayors have things named for them. Should we name something else for Joe Louis? If so, what?

Also, any other great Detroiters we should be naming things for? Athletes, artists, political or religious leaders?

I'd think I'd rename the RiverWalk the Joe Louis Riverwalk, with a series of information kiosks and/or sculpture every half mile or so, telling his life story from one end of the esplanade to the other.

I do hope the UA Theatre will be reopened as a music venue and be named for Aretha Franklin.

Yes, excellent idea, an example would be the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade in San Diego; the walkway begins at Petco Park – home to the San Diego Padres – and winds through the tourist sections of downtown San Diego, namely the convention center and the infamous Gaslamp Quarter, this location is the best the city has to offer.

The entire route is lined by palm trees and open space for picnicking; however, the treasures are at one’s feet. There are dozens [[literally) of historic MLK quotes that are engraved in plaques all along the pathway. I’ve never seen such a large collection of Dr. king’s quotes. It gave me an insight into the totality of Dr. King’s thoughts. There is more, various works of art adorn the walkway, paying tribute to the wisdom of this peaceful warrior.

[MikeyinBrooklyn]

Charles Lindbergh also has the Nazi problem. Plus, as noted, he was not accomplished as a Detroiter, he was just born here.

[renf]

So far as I know, there is no memorial or historical marker in Detroit commemorating the accomplishments of Hiram Walker. His role in modernizing and improving the taste of
whiskey is similar to the role that Ford and Leland played with motor vehicles. And he
founded what is now Michigan's Children's Hospital. I suspect the Tenant firm would
not be willing to rename that facility the Hiram Walker Children's Hospital.

[Hermod]

Yes, excellent idea, an example would be the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade in San Diego; the walkway begins at Petco Park – home to the San Diego Padres – and winds through the tourist sections of downtown San Diego, namely the convention center and the infamous Gaslamp Quarter, this location is the best the city has to offer.

The entire route is lined by palm trees and open space for picnicking; however, the treasures are at one’s feet. There are dozens [[literally) of historic MLK quotes that are engraved in plaques all along the pathway. I’ve never seen such a large collection of Dr. king’s quotes. It gave me an insight into the totality of Dr. King’s thoughts. There is more, various works of art adorn the walkway, paying tribute to the wisdom of this peaceful warrior.

That is a change. Usually cities have a Martin L. King Boulevard/Avenue/Street named after MLK, a man of peace, and is in the most violent part of the city.

[Wesley Mouch]

Charles Lindbergh also has the Nazi problem. Plus, as noted, he was not accomplished as a Detroiter, he was just born here.

San Diego has Lindbergh covered.

And Trump will no doubt call one of his America First awards the Lindbergh.

[EastsideAl]

How about the renovated Brewster Wheeler Recreation Center? At least.

That would seem to be gimmie, given Joe Louis' history at that center. But I do like the riverwalk idea. Certainly for that part of the walk that goes past old Black Bottom.

There's the large Black Power fist downtown. That's pretty noteworthy.

Why do people post such disgusting crap? Do you even have a clue who Joe Louis was?

[EastsideAl]

Unfortunately I don't think Ralph Bunche's name has that much star power

Really? If it doesn't anymore, it sure should. Maybe it's my age, but being one of the founders of the U.N., the first U.S. representative to the U.N., one of the authors [[along with Eleanor Roosevelt) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, instrumental in founding of Israel, involved in the resolution of several wars, and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize [[in 1950), in addition to being an African-American doing all those things in an era where he still couldn't get a meal or a hotel room in large sections of this country, seem pretty damn noteworthy to me. He was certainly taught as a very noteworthy Detroiter when I was a kid.

There was a Ralph Bunche Elementary School on the east side [[I believe on Ellery, between Vernor and Charlevoix). I remember going there once on a field trip for a presentation event on Bunche's life. I think there's still a Ralph Bunche School, but it's now in the nearby old Duffield school building in Elmwood Park.

Perhaps parts of the Riverwalk, or some other prominent outdoor space in the city, could be given over to some display about prominent or historically important Detroiters that children, tourists, and others should know about. Like Joe Louis, Ralph Bunche, and so many others.

[SDCC]

Really? If it doesn't anymore, it sure should. Maybe it's my age, but being one of the founders of the U.N., the first U.S. representative to the U.N., one of the authors [[along with Eleanor Roosevelt) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, instrumental in founding of Israel, involved in the resolution of several wars, and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize [[in 1950), in addition to being an African-American doing all those things in an era where he still couldn't get a meal or a hotel room in large sections of this country, seem pretty damn noteworthy to me. He was certainly taught as a very noteworthy Detroiter when I was a kid.

There was a Ralph Bunche Elementary School on the east side [[I believe on Ellery, between Vernor and Charlevoix). I remember going there once on a field trip for a presentation event on Bunche's life. I think there's still a Ralph Bunche School, but it's now in the nearby old Duffield school building in Elmwood Park.

Perhaps parts of the Riverwalk, or some other prominent outdoor space in the city, could be given over to some display about prominent or historically important Detroiters that children, tourists, and others should know about. Like Joe Louis, Ralph Bunche, and so many others.

Yes, and you expressed this far better than I ever could. Sports are part of cities and society, but credit is due to others than have contributed and enhanced America, and her cities, in other ways than on a playing field.

[Junjie]

Really? If it doesn't anymore, it sure should. Maybe it's my age, but being one of the founders of the U.N., the first U.S. representative to the U.N., one of the authors [[along with Eleanor Roosevelt) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, instrumental in founding of Israel, involved in the resolution of several wars, and recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize [[in 1950), in addition to being an African-American doing all those things in an era where he still couldn't get a meal or a hotel room in large sections of this country, seem pretty damn noteworthy to me. He was certainly taught as a very noteworthy Detroiter when I was a kid.

There was a Ralph Bunche Elementary School on the east side [[I believe on Ellery, between Vernor and Charlevoix). I remember going there once on a field trip for a presentation event on Bunche's life. I think there's still a Ralph Bunche School, but it's now in the nearby old Duffield school building in Elmwood Park.

Perhaps parts of the Riverwalk, or some other prominent outdoor space in the city, could be given over to some display about prominent or historically important Detroiters that children, tourists, and others should know about. Like Joe Louis, Ralph Bunche, and so many others.

We definitely learned about Ralph Bunche in Kalamazoo Public Schools in the early 1990s [[probably during black history month activities in February), but I doubt most people my age would tell you they knew who he was. It would be great to have something significant honoring him in the city if there's not already.

[bust]

Perhaps parts of the Riverwalk, or some other prominent outdoor space in the city, could be given over to some display about prominent or historically important Detroiters that children, tourists, and others should know about. Like Joe Louis, Ralph Bunche, and so many others.

Yes, and you expressed this far better than I ever could. Sports are part of cities and society, but credit is due to others than have contributed and enhanced America, and her cities, in other ways than on a playing field.

Yes, now I love the idea too! I admire Joe Louis but the entire Riverwalk seemed too much for the biographical history idea. I agree it would be fantastic and there is room enough to commemorate and share the biographies of Joe Louis and a wider variety of Detroiters there.

[p69rrh51]

This was posted on Arlington National Cemetery's Facebook page on April 13, 2016.

Today we remember professional boxer and U.S. Army Technical Sergeant Joseph Louis Barrow [[May 13, 1914 – April 12, 1981). Nicknamed the Brown Bomber, Louis was World Heavyweight Champion from 1937 to 1949. He is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweights of all time. Louis fought a charity bout for the Navy Relief Society on January 9, 1942 and volunteered to enlist as a private in the United States Army the very next day. After basic training at Fort Riley, Kansas, the Army placed him in its Special Services Division. As a part of this division, Louis traveled more than 21,000 miles and staged 96 boxing exhibitions before two million soldiers. He was also the focus of a media recruitment campaign for the Army.
Louis was eventually promoted to the rank of technical sergeant on April 9, 1945. On September 23 of the same year, he was awarded the Legion of Merit for "incalculable contribution to the general morale." Joe Louis passed away in 1981, at the age of 66, and now rests in section 7A.

[Bigdd]

Why do people post such disgusting crap? Do you even have a clue who Joe Louis was?

Yes,.. and why do you consider truth to be crap?

The fist was donated by a big sports mag of the day to commemorate the second fight between Joe and Max Schmeling. At the time Hitler and the Nazis were touting the superiority of the Aryan race,..and Max had beaten Joe pretty badly in 1936. While Max was never a member of the Nazi party,.. the Nazis touted it none the less as proof of Aryan superiority thing.

When Joe beat Max 2 years later,.. it was touted here as a blow to that ideology.

The fist represents black power beating the white Aryan race superiority idea. It's the 180 degree opposite of the Nazis / Aryan thing.

It was put here in Detroit because Joe was from Detroit.

It IS NOT simply a monument to the Brown bomber. If it were,.. they would have made a statue of him,... so that passers by would know who it was a monument to,.. and what the fella looked like.

[bust]

Yes,.. and why do you consider truth to be crap?

The fist was donated by a big sports mag of the day to commemorate the second fight between Joe and Max Schmeling. At the time Hitler and the Nazis were touting the superiority of the Aryan race,..and Max had beaten Joe pretty badly in 1936. While Max was never a member of the Nazi party,.. the Nazis touted it none the less as proof of Aryan superiority thing.

When Joe beat Max 2 years later,.. it was touted here as a blow to that ideology.

The fist represents black power beating the white Aryan race superiority idea. It's the 180 degree opposite of the Nazis / Aryan thing.

It was put here in Detroit because Joe was from Detroit.

It IS NOT simply a monument to the Brown bomber. If it were,.. they would have made a statue of him,... so that passers by would know who it was a monument to,.. and what the fella looked like.

I agree the artistic intention was probably intended to evoke a black power fist. But I strongly disagree the black power movement is the 180 opposite of Nazism. Tell me if I'm wrong, but I believe that while some among the black power movement thought violence was a legitimate method of self-defense, the defense part is key. Nazism was a blatantly offensive movement. Individuals will each have their own opinion but I believe black power was more of an AND operation: black people deserve a share of power too. Just like "black is beautiful" doesn't mean only black is beautiful, it means black is beautiful too.

[Bigdd]

I agree the artistic intention was probably intended to evoke a black power fist. But I strongly disagree the black power movement is the 180 opposite of Nazism. Tell me if I'm wrong, but I believe that while some among the black power movement thought violence was a legitimate method of self-defense, the defense part is key. Nazism was a blatantly offensive movement. Individuals will each have their own opinion but I believe black power was more of an AND operation: black people deserve a share of power too. Just like "black is beautiful" doesn't mean only black is beautiful, it means black is beautiful too.

I didn't mean it that in depth,.. or to say it was the opposite of Nazi'ism,.. just that the pushing of Black Power by "The Fist" was the opposite of the "Aryan superiority" propaganda that the Nazis espoused. Obviously the National Socialist Party had a lot of other agendas going on along with that.

I think The Fist is a shame. I feel for Joe Louis. Pretty much no one going by there knows whose fist it is. And if you told them,.. most people these days don;t know who he was,.. or what he looked like. And having it there has meant that no one else did a proper memorial to Joe. Would be nice if they scrapped it and put up a 20' statue of Joe somewhere. People would know what the man looked like at least.