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Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Pvt. Joe Louis Says_
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.

Pvt. Joe Louis Says_

Artifact IDMO 2005.13.20.9.1
Object Type Poster
Maker (American, founded 1861)
Issuing Body (American, 1942 - 1945)
Issuing Body (American, 1942 - 1945)
Issuing Body (American, 1941 - 1942)
Issuing Body (American, 1940 - 1942)
Date1942
Mediumpaper, ink
Dimensionsoverall H 40 in x W 28 1/2 in (101.6 cm x 72.4 cm )
Physical DescriptionA color poster featuring a black and white photographic image of a Joe Louis as a soldier, against a blue background. Black text above and below the image reads: Pvt. Joe Louis says_ / "We're going to do our part / …and we'll win because / we're on God's side". U.S. Government Printing Office 1942. GPO Jacket No. 460989. Graphics Division Office of Facts and Figures.
Historical NoteChampion boxer Joe Louis became a national hero when he defeated German boxer Max Schmeling in a celebrated 1938 match. In January 1942, Louis volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army. Later that year, he said of the war: “We’ll win, because we’re on God’s side.” His remarks were widely reported in the media and later used in this 1942 poster.

The Army recognized Louis’s value as a spokesman for military service and placed him in its Special Services Division. He traveled widely staging boxing exhibitions for military audiences and helped publicize a recruitment campaign aimed at African Americans.

A facsimile of the poster is currently on display in the FDR Library's special exhibition, BLACK AMERICANS, CIVIL RIGHTS, AND THE ROOSEVELTS, 1932-1962.
Additional Details
Credit LineGift of the Adriance Memorial Library
National Archives Catalog CollectionFranklin D. Roosevelt Library Museum Collection (National Archives Identifier 735948)
National Archives Catalog SeriesOriginal Posters from World War I and World War II (National Archives Identifier 739394)
Use Restriction StatusUnrestricted
CopyrightReproduction or other use of these holdings or images thereof is unrestricted.
In Collection(s)
On view