Create and Celebrate African American Art

reagancharlescook:

The life story of Jack Johnson is one of the greatest tales to ever grace a history book.  Although he is now known by very few, for more than thirteen years, Jack Johnson was the most famous and the most notorious African-American on Earth.

I’m Jack Johnson. Heavyweight champion of the world. I’m black. They never let me forget it. I’m black all right! I’ll never let them forget it!

John Arthur “Jack” Johnson was born in Galveston, Texas March 31, 1878, the second child and first son of former slaves Henry and Tina Johnson.  The family struggled in poverty and Jack was forced to leave school after only five years to find wages. While working in blue-collar jobs Johnson began boxing to supplement his income.

Fighting was illegal in Texas and he eventually ended up in jail. While in prison Johnson befriended former heavyweight contender Joe Choyinski and became his friend and sparring partner. Upon leaving jail Johnson trained with Choyinski to develop a more patient approach than was customary in that day.  He often fought to punish his opponents rather than knock them out, endlessly avoiding their blows and striking with swift counters.

Johnson’s style was very effective, but it was criticized in the press as being cowardly and devious. By contrast, world heavyweight champion “Gentleman” Jim Corbett had used many of the same techniques a decade earlier, and was praised by the press as “the cleverest man in boxing.”

By the time he turned 25, Johnson he had already won 50 matches and earned the World Colored Heavyweight Championship.

He had reached the peak for a black athlete in 1903, but he was far from finished. He wanted the Heavyweight Championship of the World, but it  would not  come easily. The white champions he confronted all refused to enter the ring against him because he was a black.

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