Joe Louis

Louis’s Las Vegas significance is not confined to boxing results. When the Moulin Rouge opened in May 1955, the former heavyweight champion served as a host at a resort that challenged the city’s segregated hospitality industry.

UNLV’s African American history project places him among the personalities who welcomed visitors to the interracial hotel and casino. The National Park Service’s account likewise identifies his role at the opening celebration. Reading this alongside his sporting fame reveals how an athlete could participate in the city’s social and economic history. The Moulin Rouge’s short operating life does not diminish its place in the history of Black Las Vegas.