Not enough people know what Joe Louis achieved in his lifetime. He was one of the greatest heavyweight boxing champions of all time, reigning as such for a record dozen years from 1937-1949. He was born into a humble family of sharecroppers but rose to become a national hero, contributing to the war effort, fighting against fascism, fighting for civil rights, and his win in the ring over Germany’s Max Schmeling made it a little easier for Jackie Robinson (whom he knew well) to break the color barrier in major league baseball.