Boxing

Forgiving His Blackness: Congress to Pardon Jack Johnson?

There are bills in both the House of Representatives and the Senate that call for the pardon of former heavyweight champion Jack Johnson.

Johnson was the first black heavyweight champ, and famously beat Jim Jeffries back into retirement in the “Fight of the Century,” nearly 100 years ago. Johnson was a magnet for racial tension, as the Jeffries fight led to riots breaking out around the country, and racism is what eventually landed him in prison.

Johnson apparently had a thing for white women, and that didn’t go over very well in the early 1900’s United States. When the Mann Act was passed in 1910, Johnson was immediately investigated. He was arrested shortly after the Act passed, but that one didn’t stick. He was arrested again in 1913, and convicted of violating the Mann Act, and was sentenced to a year in prison. While awaiting an appeal, Johnson left the country ,and spent the next decade living in Europe, eventually going to Spain and on to Mexico. In 1920, he turned himself over to American authorities to serve his one year sentence.

The Mann Act was never meant to put black men who were dating white women in prison, at least not on the surface. It was meant to stop the trafficking of women for prostitution, slavery and “other immoral purposes.” It was that last phrase that they used to have Johnson convicted.

Ken Burns’ film “Unforgivable Blackness” documented Johnson’s life and career like none other, and Burns has led the way in getting Johnson pardoned.

The story of Jack Johnson is an amazing one. From his career in the ring to his personal life outside of it, Johnson led a fascinating life. Burns’ documentary is a must-see film, whether you are a boxing fan or not. Bud Greenspan’s Kings of the Ring documentary also has great coverage of Johnson. Greenspan’s films often air on Showtime and are second to none when it comes to production and storytelling.

Johnson should never have been targeted, arrested and convicted in the first place, and was only because he was a black celebrity in an era when that itself was practically a crime. Congress is doing the right thing by getting this man who should have been celebrated in his time pardoned.

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