Could the IRS have given Joe Louis a break?

[SlimTrae]

From what I've read; Joe was in George Foreman's position[edit-forman grill]. he was the face, but not at all involved in the process.

He didn't own the cows, or nothing like that. It (appears)Blacks supported it exclusively, but because much of the proceeds were involved in helping the civil rights movement, many grocery stores refused to stock it. He even had a few politicians put stock in it. That failed along with Joe Louis punch and hair care product.

What gets me is his relationship with his promoter Mike Jacobs- the dude who played a huge role in promotions after Tex Rickard- IMO the father of boxing promoter. He was the Don King of that era- he lived well and somehow his cash cow was sucked dry.

Mike wasn't obligated to help Joe do anything- but seeing how he got his BIG break off of Joe Louis he didn't do anything to help his cash cow in a time of need- totally moral obligation and obviously not business. Jacobs had the first paid radio sponsorship Sam Taub was his blow-by-blow reporter. Jacobs had the first commercial sponsorship of a television boxing match—the Featherweight title bout between Willie Pep and Chalky Wright.[

He told Louis' black management from Detroit; if there were to be a black champ- 1. he would have to promote him, not blacks 2. He would have to be low-key (build an anti Jack Johnson image & marketed as representing all Americans, not just African-Americans.)

If Jacobs was moral enuff to donate 10 per cent of the gate to groups helping Jewish refugees. where was his help for his cash cow when he needed it? Or maybe there is news and I haven't crossed it yet. The American Hebrew news praised Mike Jacobs for giving Joe Louis the opportunity to strike "a terrific blow to the theory of race supremacy." Even more interesting is that Joe's folk didn't have his gloves that he used to beat Germany- In 1994, the gloves that Louis used to defeat Max Schmeling was donated to the city of Detroit by the Michigan Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

I wonder if Joe had kept those gloves, he could have auctioned it off. Signed gloves by champs today go for A LOT. Wouldn't paid off his debt, but I see this much--: the hand that fed him, starved him too.