JACK JOHNSON

JACK JOHNSON, (1878 -1946) First African American heavyweight champion who won the title in 1908 and became an international athletic figure.

Jack Johnson was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame in 1954. There have been recurring proposals to grant Johnson a posthumous presidential pardon. On July 29, 2009, Congress passed a resolution calling on President Obama to issue a pardon.

Narration:

The first African American heavyweight champion of the world. His name – Jack Johnson.

Born in 1878 in Texas to former slaves, John Arthur Johnson had little education. He worked the cotton fields and shipyards before turning sparing for cash into a world-class boxing career.

James Jeffries was the world heavyweight champion, but he refused to fight Johnson because of his race. When Johnson finally won the title in 1908 after knocking out Tommy Burns, Jeffries came out of retirement as the “Great White Hope.” When Johnson beat Jeffries, race riots exploded in 25 states.

He broke barriers, but his interracial marriages fueled racism and led to a questionable conviction. A fugitive for seven years, Johnson returned to the U.S. in 1920 and served a year at Leavenworth prison. He penned his life story in two memoirs.

Jack Johnson – A Great American

Credits: Editor: Stacy T. Holmes, ACE, Narrator: Steve Schy, Music: PartnersinRhyme.com, Digital Collection: Library of Congress, Copyright: CBN Communications