Saifee

Mubarka Saifee
Honors 1000
11/16/15
We Stand for More than The Fist
When I saw the Memorial to Joe Louis, the fist, I could not think of a better
representation of the city of Detroit. However, after looking into the history of this public
art piece, it is evident that city was conflicted over the architectural aspects of the fist.
Three aspects will be analyzed, Detroits rise and fall during this time, racism and the
distinguishing factor between the artists view and the publics view of public art in
relation to African American representation such as the fist, and the location. This paper
will analyze African American representation in public art in predominantely Caucassian
regions. More specifically, the discussion will focus on how the fist was an example
depicting that representation created for the sake of cross-racial healing often causes the
very social divisions that it wants to fix.
During the 1930s and 1940s, Joes Louiss image in public was often
ambiguous due to the racial tension of the time. Under the ambiguity though, Louis was a
symbol of hope for African Americans and a hero admired by whites.1 Some years after
he passed away the 1967 Riots occurred and the rate of homicides in Detroit shot up. The
rate of homicides was particularly high in 1987, the year after the sculpture of Joe Louiss
fist was created. There was an unsettling atmosphere that enveloped the city of Detroit.

1 Quaife, Milo Milton, and Will White. This Is Detroit: 250 Years in Pictures, 17011951. Detroit: n.p., 1951. 128-29. Print.

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Thus, from these facts, it is not surprising the the creation of the Fist caused more social
and racial divisons than it fixed.
Another aspect of the history of the fist that brings on further social divide is the
way viewers interpret public art across time. As Marlon Ross mentions in his article,
the publicness of public art condenses a lot racial intentionalities throughout time in a
single object and this creates several racial consequences.2 The Joe Louis Fist is an
excellent example of this. The image of his fist was one that represented African
Americans and a representation of them is different for every person, as they each view it
differently. When viewing an icon such as the sculpture of Joe Louiss fist, it requires
that one distinguishes the projecting differences between what the icon represents and
ones own self image. However, it is often seen that the image of one member of the
black race is fully representative of the total race.3 Thus, this distinguishing factor
between the icon and ones self image fades away in the eyes of many of the viewers who
see the fist. One particular view that some people had since the creation of Joe Louiss
fist was that the icon of the outstretched arm appeared to be a weapon. This further
perpetuated the stereotype that African Americans are aggressive in a city still deeply

2 Ross, Marlon B. "An Anatomy Of The Race Icon: Joe Louis As Fetish-Idol In
Postmodern America." South Atlantic Quarterly 109.2 (2010): 279-312. America:
History & Life. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.
3 Ross, Marlon B. "An Anatomy Of The Race Icon: Joe Louis As Fetish-Idol In
Postmodern America." South Atlantic Quarterly 109.2 (2010): 279-312. America:
History & Life. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.

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divided along racial lines.4 The position of the arm and fingers, as seen in the group
picture to the below, emphasizes how this particular ideology came to be a reality for
many viewers. 5 However, there is some
disconfirming evidence that can be found against
this. For instance, the position of the fist can
symbolize as a gesture of connectedness amongst
the racial classes. It can also symbolize humanity
and mutual interests.
Another important factor to analyze is that while the intent of the artist may have
been to display Louiss fist as a symbol of freedom, the public may have taken the
message of the icon differently due to the location of the statue. According to Miles,
conventional public arttends to be defined by its relation as aesthetic object to a
physical site.6 In contrast, according to Pearson, the rising public art in the 1990s was
often promoted as environmental improvements in areas needing regeneration7 such as
old industrial sites. However, as seen with the construction of the fist, this change in

4 Ross, Marlon B. "An Anatomy Of The Race Icon: Joe Louis As Fetish-Idol In
Postmodern America." South Atlantic Quarterly 109.2 (2010): 279-312. America:
History & Life. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.
5 Group picture 2015
6 Miles, Malcolm. Art, Space and the City: Public Art and Urban Futures. London:
Routledge, 1997. Print.
7 Pearson, Lynn. "Public Art Since 1950." Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov.
2015.

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public art did not adequately take into account the racial tensions of the time and how it
would change across time and space. When the fist was built, Detroit was mainly African
American majority due to the race riots that drove out most of the Caucasians. In
contrast, the location of the fist today, downtown Detroit, has become increasingly
dominated by Caucasians. During my visit to the site, I noticed this atmosphere with
observations of several well dressed whites walking through as well as those from other
cultures.8 I also noticed that the surroundings to the Fist included street signs and busy
intersections. This change in atmosphere is not well suited to the image of the fist as it
doesnt show the sculpture to its best advatage with its deep significance and history.9
The Memorial to Joe Louis was originally created to represent the African American
community, however, it is rendered unable to do that and instead causes more social
divide due to its ill-fit location.
In fact, a similar argument can be seen with Arthur Ashes statue in Richmond,
Virginia. During the time it was being built and afterwards, critics argued that Ashes
legacy would be reduced if it was on the busy street, Monument Avenue, and that it
should instaead be placed in the location of downtown Richmond where the statue

8 Honor Group Analysis, 2015.
9 Hill, Eric J., and John Gallagher. "Memorial to Joe Louis." AIA Detroit: The American
Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture. Detroit: Wayne State UP,
2003. N. pag. Print.

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would adorn an African-American Sports Hall of Fame.10 This emphasizes how small
details such as the location can become an important factor in affecting the viewers
interpretation and make the difference between elevating and healing racial tensions.
After going to the Memorial of Joe Louis (the fist) and analyzing it in detail, it is
evident that it caused more social divisions in Detroit than previously thought. The period
during and after which it was built was a time of great racial tension. Furthermore, the
location does not serve justice to the meaning of the statue. And finally, the statue falls
into the trap where the terms public and art create contradictory meanings and lead to
different interpretations between the artist and viewer. Therefore, although the Fist
appears to be a great African American representation due to its size and looks, and in
many ways symbolizes the freedom and legacy that Joe Louis brought to the African
American race, a deeper look into it reveals a much harsher reality.

10 Journal of Urban Affairs: Redefining a Southern City's Heritage: Historic
Preservation Planning, Public Art, and Race in Richmond, Virginia. 21 Vol. Blackwell
Publishing, 10/01/1999. Web. 14 Nov. 2015.

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Works Cited
Chafets, Ze'ev. "The Tragedy of Detroit." The New York Times. The New York Times, 28
July 1990. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.
Hill, Eric J., and John Gallagher. "Memorial to Joe Louis." AIA Detroit: The American
Institute of Architects Guide to Detroit Architecture. Detroit: Wayne State UP,
2003. N. pag. Print.
Honor Group Analysis, 2015.
Journal of Urban Affairs: Redefining a Southern City's Heritage: Historic Preservation
Planning, Public Art, and Race in Richmond, Virginia. 21 Vol. Blackwell
Publishing, 10/01/1999. Web. 14 Nov. 2015.
Miles, Malcolm. Art, Space and the City: Public Art and Urban Futures. London:
Routledge, 1997. Print.
Pearson, Lynn. "Public Art Since 1950." Google Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov.
2015.
Personal Photograph by Author, 2015
Quaife, Milo Milton, and Will White. This Is Detroit: 250 Years in Pictures, 1701-1951.
Detroit: n.p., 1951. 128-29. Print.
Ross, Marlon B. "An Anatomy Of The Race Icon: Joe Louis As Fetish-Idol In
Postmodern America." South Atlantic Quarterly 109.2 (2010): 279-312. America:
History & Life. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.