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Created with soft pastels on museum-quality, heavyweight, acid-free sanded pastel
paper, this work depicts a young boy wearing boxing gloves labeled “Brown Bomber,”
standing before a mural of Joe Louis and looking down at a 1952 Chevrolet truck that
holds a golf ball in its bed. The truck symbolizes the year Louis, through a sponsor’s
exemption, attempted to enter a PGA tournament, challenging the “Caucasian only”
bylaws. Though best known as a boxing champion, Louis became the first African-
American non-professional to compete in a major PGA-sanctioned event, scoring a
four-over-par 76. His courage helped open the door for pioneers like Charlie Sifford, the
first African-American to play on the PGA Tour. Louis’s advocacy for youth access to
golf, carried forward by his son Joe Louis Barrow Jr. through The First Tee, remains part
of his legacy. The layered imagery honors his victories in the ring and his quiet yet
powerful role in breaking barriers across sports and society.
Created with soft pastels on museum-quality, heavyweight, acid-free sanded pastel
paper, this work depicts a young boy wearing boxing gloves labeled “Brown Bomber,”
standing before a mural of Joe Louis and looking down at a 1952 Chevrolet truck that
holds a golf ball in its bed. The truck symbolizes the year Louis, through a sponsor’s
exemption, attempted to enter a PGA tournament, challenging the “Caucasian only”
bylaws. Though best known as a boxing champion, Louis became the first African-
American non-professional to compete in a major PGA-sanctioned event, scoring a
four-over-par 76. His courage helped open the door for pioneers like Charlie Sifford, the
first African-American to play on the PGA Tour. Louis’s advocacy for youth access to
golf, carried forward by his son Joe Louis Barrow Jr. through The First Tee, remains part
of his legacy. The layered imagery honors his victories in the ring and his quiet yet
powerful role in breaking barriers across sports and society.