Unforgettable Blackness
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During the early 1900s black people lived in a country they had helped to build. However they could not even drink or eat with the other inhabitants of the land. The mental torture and anguish this mustve created is somewhat unimaginable. Slavery had been abolished, and all blacks were “free.” However, what were they free to do? There truly wasnt much that blacks in America could do at this time, so it is truly an inspiration to introduce a man, a legend by the name of Jack Johnson.
Born and raised in Texas, Johnson didnt have a glamorous background. He had to drop out of school in fifth grade, so that he could earn money to help his parents who were former slaves. Johnson became a professional boxer after spending time as a sparring partner, humiliating himself for the pleasure of white people who desired to be entertained and would throw money at him. Shortly thereafter, Johnson turned his degrading circumstance into a prominent career.
After he became a professional boxer or “prizefighter,” Johnson was not given the opportunity to challenge white fighters. No black boxer at the time was given the opportunity to fight white boxers. It is widely acknowledged that white champions refused to fight black boxers because they were black. Johnson faced tremendous scrutiny, and bigotry throughout his career. Living in a period where the supreme court of the United States of America declared that Jim Crow Laws were not unconstitutional, Johnson found it difficult to gain acceptance. Furthermore, it was commonly believed that whites were supreme to blacks, therefore Johnson was not worthy of joining the ranks of the “elite” in the sport. In addition it must be noted that boxing was the national sport of its day.
Johnson also received condemnation from the white majority because of his alleged violation of the Mann Act. It was said that his affiliation with white women was a crime and that he was prostituting them. Johnson maintained that he was not guilty of any crime. The lifestyle the Johnson lived was very new to whites during this time period. This was a black man openly defying them, and they could do nothing about it. Johnson had started to become a popular figure in the country, and whites did not appreciate this. The fact that he preferred white women didnt go over well either. Many whites saw this as a slap in the face, because it was forbidden. While Johnson was on top of the boxing game he was invincible; therefore the white majority sought another way to bring about his demise. The easiest way was to direct their attention to Johnsons love life.
In order to climb the ranks, Johnson defeated Tommy Burns. Burns had become World Champion after the retirement of Jim Jeffries. Burns, like all the other white fighters refused to fight Johnson, however he changed his mind due to outside pressure. Surprisingly the press actually became involved in convincing Burns that Johnson was a legitimate contender for the title. On December 26, 1908 Johnson and