Exploring Themes in Maya Angelou's 'Champion of the World' Essay, 2018

This essay analyzes Maya Angelou's 'Champion of the World,' focusing on the historical context of Joe Louis's boxing victory and its profound impact on the African American community. The essay details the pervasive racism of the time, highlighting the joy and pride felt by Black people in response to Louis's win, which represented a symbolic victory against white supremacy. It explores the themes of racial injustice, social inequality, and the struggle for human rights, emphasizing the emotional and psychological toll of discrimination. The essay references the societal context, including the fear of reprisal from white communities, and discusses the significance of sports as a source of both pride and social commentary, ultimately portraying the fight for equality and the enduring spirit of the Black community in the face of adversity. The author uses vivid imagery and emotional language to convey the tension and the significance of the boxing match, portraying it as a pivotal moment in the fight against racial oppression.

Yujing Liu
Professor Melissa Poole
English 111
22February 2018
Maya Angelou’s “Champion of the World” is beyond a chapter in a book. The essay,
“Champion of the world” by Maya Angelou tells the story of the happiness and pride gained
by the black people when a black man named Joe Louis wins the boxing world
championship. This essay includes the sufferings of African people in the ground of America.
For the black community it was not only a sport. It was the most emotional moment to them
when Joe Louis won world’s heavyweight championship against a white on 22 June, 1937.
On the day, with this boxing match, one more parallel fight has been going on. The fight was
about taking the revenge of all the unjust which was done to black people by Americans. In
criticism, Blues singer and guitarist Bill Gaither composed song, “It was only two minutes
and four seconds/ ‘Fore Schmelling was down on his knees/ He looked like he was praying to
the good lord/ To ‘Have mercy on me, please.” The essay ends with a contradictory line “It
wouldn’t be fit for a Black man and his family to be caught on a lonely country road on a
night when Joe Louis had proved that we were the strongest people in the world. This line
indicates the plight of the black people in the state of Arkansas where Maya Angelou as a
child grew up with her family. The words are contradictory because even though a black man
has won the world championships yet still the black people living in the place is afraid to

celebrate their moment of happiness. The essay taunts society against racism, socio cultural
and political inhumanity.
"Champion of the world. A Black boy. Some Black mother's son." These words
highlights the struggle of being a coloured person, the boxing match was not just a simple
victory it had bigger implications (Kennedy et al.). The victory of Joe Louis emphasizes on
the fact that the black have the capability of defeating the whites and the system made by
them, they do have that much power. The win gave the African Americans a feeling of
empowerment for the first time. This was a legitimate win against the white people, which
could not have any repercussions against them as a community. "If Joe lost we were back in
slavery and beyond help.""My race groaned. It was our people falling", these lines portray the
years of pain and struggle that the black people had endured (Olney and James). They had
experienced violence first hand and they knew the feeling. They experienced all these it was
not a myth or story to them, if Louis was defeated then it would be a defeat for the entire
Black community. The author said that if he lost the match all hopes would be gone for their
community they will be again taunted and tortured and for the white people it will be an
accomplishment.
This victory inspires the black people to regaining strength for developing their
community as one of the strongest communities of the world. Through the boxing match, on
that day, as a representative of black people, Joe Louis answered that they also have the
abilities to be the best. On that day, he also let the white people to understand that they would
not live more on the grace of white people. The whole black community on the ground of
America cried down against social inequality. Their pain of years after years has been taken

the lime light of media. This was the biggest achievement of African American people. In the
last paragraph of this essay, it spoke about the safety measures for the black people. It was
because, this victory might be a great danger for the community of black people in the White
dominated society. The last paragraph of this chapter criticized that the white people would
not admit this defeat easily (Zeitler and Michael). In anger they would try to bring armed
attack on black community. It was the reason, black community dared to celebrate their most
awaited victory to fill their heart. It is asserted that racism is one of the social issues, which is
against global culture. In the 1930, Americans took racism for grant of power (Wagner-
Martin and Linda). They don’t leave a single opportunity to deprive the black in achieving
human rights. Maya Angelou criticized that the White have a mentality that they are superior
to any other ethnic group. Therefore, if White feels disrespect for any reason from minor
communities, they think that they have a special “right” to reprimand them. In criticism
Angelou demonstrated which mentality in her essay was that instead of getting shame, this
defeat might make them extremists to show violence on her community (Arthami and Prima).
From her account of journal, it was clear that black and white racism was the only form of
violence which would occur in and around 1930 (Wiggins and David).
This defeat was a beacon for the black people achieving a great milestone in the
history as mentioned before although this did not change the scenario for the existence of
racism. Even though the White Contender was defeated by Louis and received the title
"Heavy Weight Champion of the World”, the black community faced danger due to the
presence of racism. The whites could never believe that the blacks could defeat them; they
believed that they had the right to win anything just because of the colour of their skin, and at

times if the blacks offended the whites they could take necessary actions against them
(Naison and Mark). Over the years, sports became a common form of entertainment among
the people and a source of pride, sports can make a person or society better or bring out the
worse in them a person can either focus on the competitiveness of the sports or see it in a
positive light or in a negative approach. In other words, a person can look at competitiveness
at a positive or negative approach.
On the matter of positive competitiveness, sports can be looked upon a game of spirits
and a fair way of winning or losing, some people can also tarnish the purpose of games by
using foul words, there has been several instances where people have dragged the issues
related to sports to a huge extent. Many people have even lost their lives in fights of proving
their own form of game better or in silly quarrels regarding the various sports (Tatz and
Colin). The games or sports always has influenced the society to a great extent, it has
influenced the culture and communities. As an example the victory of Joe Louis was more
than a simple winning of a game it was representative to the African American culture and
society, it gave them pride, and for some, who have never experienced anything like this, it
was a first. This is just a single case of the impact sports have on culture. The 16th and the 17th
paragraphs were inspirational in nature the lines conveyed a lot without saying much. Both
the paragraphs focuses on the trials and tribulations of the black people and contains most
powerful forms of emotions related with the domination of black people in the hands of the
whites. The moment felt like the earth had stood still for the entire community no one dared
to blink or breathe and everyone was in suspense. The black people felt that everything was

over for them; the tension of the game was such that no one could say for sure whether they
will win or lose.
In the essay, Maya Angelou describes the tension of the boxing match from the
perspective of the black community in Africa. A time came when Louis is pinned against the
ropes. This was the moment when black people lose their confidence and turned into pale.
For the moment they thought that Louis was going to lose the match. It was the moment
when Angelou had felt that the entire world was looking at her race and community with pity.
At that moment, she felt that God is against them. She described that it was for sure at the
moment white people were preparing to taunt them for once again (Zeitler and Michael). It
was the moment when the entire black community was feeling that they were really stupid,
ugly, lazy and dirty. At last, the fight changed. The ‘Brown Bomber’ got off the ropes and
resumed fighting to hit the opponent with left and right punches repeatedly. Eventually with
this technique Louis won the fight. According to Angelou, then the feeling of every black
people could not be portrayed in words. According to Angelou, after the Black Louis had
proved as the strongest man of the world, black people should walk on the road in group. She
suspected that riot might break out due to the victory of black people.
In the essay of Maya Angelou, it is argued that the feeling of superiority is transitory
and fragile. At the revival meeting, the white people had been lightly accused for lacking
their charity. There in the congregation, Joe louis enabled to let the white people to realise
that the congregation was the ultimate reward to his race for their true charity. In terms of
portraying the feeling of revival, Maya Angelou wrote, “It was better to be meek and lowly,
spat upon and abused for this little time than to spend eternity frying in the fires of hell.”

Hence, it can be asserted that that the essay, ‘Champion of the World’ is a racial protest
(Wagner-Martin and Linda). It was the story of recollecting the pain and sufferings of black
people of tolerating racial and social violence years after years. John Louis was not the first
black sports man who achieved the glory of victory. Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Jackie
Robinson, Althea Gibson were the legends who belonged from the black community in field
of sports (Arthami and Prima). Jack Johnson was the first boxer who hold the title, ‘the
strongest man in the world’ first (Wiggins and David). Frederick Pollard, Jesse Owens,
Charlie Sifford, Jackie Robinson and so on being representative of black people proved the
ability of their race again and again (Naison and Mark). However, racism existed in the
world. It is argued that still black people have to be victimized of politics and social injustice
in many fields of the world. The aforesaid black people could be successful as they had the
spirit of ignoring racial slurs and death threats to stay focus on building the sports world a
better and equal place. Still, in this one twentieth century, Donald Trump could not resist
himself in attacking black sports figures. As a result, many of the sports men took the
decision of sitting on their knee during the national anthem of American.
Whatever, the final paragraph of the essay portrayed joy, the pride of victory and the
black people gaining confidence in their own race, they never thought that they will be feel
such, as they never had any occasion where they achieved something. The black boxer and
the champion Joe Louise helped the black people in gaining confidence. Although they knew
that they would never be able to win a respectable position in the society, yet the white men
will never be able to take away their title. The African Americans all over the world have
become the "Champions of the World". The way Angelou utilized portrayal all through the

paper helped the readers to get an idea of the condition of the black people at that time, if she
did not portray the condition in that manner then the readers would never have understood or
would have related to the feelings of the black people. All through the entire essay Angelou's
depiction of the Black community painted a clear picture and depicted all the feelings that
were ready to be passed on to the readers.

Reference List
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ANGELOU’S STILL I RISE AND CAGED BIRD POEMS. Diss. SANATA DHARMA
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Naison, Mark. "Why sports history is American history." The Gilder Lehrman Institute of
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Tatz, Colin. "Jews and sport: Prize and prejudice." Sporting Traditions 34.1 (2017): 99.
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