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Duy-An Pham
Dr. Harrison
Essay #2
22 November, 2015
Where Are We Going?
The five of us heard the directions and were trying to figure out what our site
would be. We all looked at each other with puzzled expressions. It could have been any historical
site or monument in Detroit, but the entire group drew a blank. Then I thought to myself, We
have to pick a site with a deeper meaning. That is when I brought up The Fist as an option,
which would end up being the final decision for our site. People always go downtown, walking
past this huge bronze, fist sculpture at the intersection of Woodward and Jefferson (Hunter).
Some people take pictures with it but many people just drive by it. Sure, I knew The Fist was
named after Joe Louis but there is a symbolic meaning that I wanted to further dive into that
makes it more than just a dedicated piece of artwork. Every Detroiter has probably seen this
sculpture, but its significance and impact on us goes over our heads. For my research question, I
was basing it towards Joe Louis himself. The Fist was dedicated to Detroit boxing legend, Joe
Louis because of the impact that he had on blacks and the legacy that he left behind for
Americans. Therefore, I believe the monument is an accurate but negative illustration of who we
are.
When you look at the monument, all you see is a disembodied limb, forearm down,
fingers clenched together. This is true, from an aesthetics point of view. The Fist resembles
Joe Louiss dangerous right cross that he used throughout his boxing career (Wynn). Louis was a

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boxer, so his fists were the most important piece to his game. However, if they wanted to
construct a memorial for him, why would they not use his entire body?
Louis did many things in his body that impacted the world. Probably his most famous
instance was his 1938 rematch against German superstar Max Schemeling, dubbed the Fight of
the Century (Lanctot). This fight was a symbol of Democracy vs. Fascism according to
spectators. At the time, Nazi Germany was becoming a greater threat, so everybody, including
whites who were hostile towards blacks, rallied behind Louis. His single round domination of
Schemeling (who was perceived as a Nazi) was symbolic to WWII and he cemented himself as a
sports icon and the nations most revered African American. He became a representative hero to
black America as well. His migration from Alabama to Detroit and other northern cities mirrored
the black experience and strengthened communal identification amongst blacks. His ability to
unleash masculine power in ways that were frowned upon by white societybeating white men
made him a powerful symbol of black masculinity with which the majority of black people
could identify. Perhaps it was this black masculinity that was the basis for his memorial.
A fist usually depicts violence, the intent to harm or defending oneself. It is interesting
that the monument to Joe Louis was just his fist. The monument was built in 1987, a few decades
after one of the worst race riots in history. The 1960s was a period where African Americans
were suffering economically because of racial discrimination and other factors (Rucker).
According to Rucker, white flight took place which took businesses with them to suburbs,
leaving little room for economic opportunity for African Americans. This issue would lead to the
rise of the more radical Black Panthers and Black Power as their way of seeing. Their goal was
to have more economic ownership amongst the black community and not having to rely on
whites. The symbol of the Black Panthers is a fist raised high into the air. People believe the

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monument symbolizes this. Violence is indeed a method that is used to get points across.
However, we must look at the real meaning of the monument and what it is trying to tell us about
cities. The Fist is a symbol of conquering evils and obstacles like how Joe Louis defeated
Schemeling. Everyone in America had his back, no matter their racial differences. Like Louis,
everyone should have Detroits back in this fight for rejuvenation. We all come from different
backgrounds and histories but we can all conquer the adversity together.

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Works Cited
Boyle, Kevin. "The Ruins of Detroit: Exploring the Urban Crisis in the Motor City." The Michigan
Historical Review 27.1 (2001): 109. Web.

"Detroit Rioting Given Big Play by World Press." The Washington Post, Times Herald (19591973): 1. Jul 26 1967. ProQuest. Web. 22 Nov. 2015 .
Felber, Garrett. "Harlem Is the Black World: The Organization of Afro-American Unity at the
Grassroots." The Journal of African American History 100.2, The Legacy of Malcolm X:
Black Nationalism, Internationalism, and Transnationalism (2015): 199-225. JSTOR. Web.
17 Nov. 2015.
Gallagher, Victoria J., and Margaret R. LaWare. "Sparring with Public Memory: The Rhetorical
Embodiment of Race, Power, and Conflict in the Monument to Joe Louis." Eds. Greg
Dickinson, Carole Blair, and Brian L. Ott.U of Alabama P, 2010. 87-112. Rhetoric,
Culture, and Social Critique~~RC&SC ProQuest. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.
Hunter, George. "Robert Graham, 1938-2008: Sculptor of Detroit's Controversial Joe Louis 'Fist'
Memorial." Detroit NewsDec 29 2008. ProQuest. Web. 17 Nov. 2015 .
Lanctot, Neil. "MORE THAN JUST A FIGHT." Reviews in American History 34.3 (2006): 35563. ProQuest. Web. 10 Nov. 2015.
Marback, Richard. "Detroit and the Closed Fist: Toward a Theory of Material Rhetoric."
Rhetoric Review 17.1 (1998): 74-92. JSTOR. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.
Rucker, Walter C. "1968 Mexico City Summer Olympics." The American Mosaic: The African
American Experience.ABC-CLIO, 2015. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.
---. "Overview of the 1967 Detroit Riots." The 1967 Detroit Riots. Ed. Noah Berlatsky. Detroit:
Greenhaven Press, 2013. 11-16. Perspectives on Modern World History. Gale Virtual
Reference Library. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.

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Wynn, Neil A. "Joe Louis." The American Mosaic: The African American Experience. ABCCLIO, 2015. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.