Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson

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Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson

by Geoffrey C. Ward

4.18 · rating details · 137 ratings · 22 reviews

In this vivid biography Geoffrey C. Ward brings back to life the most celebrated — and the most reviled — African American of his age.

Jack Johnson battled his way out of obscurity and poverty in the Jim Crow South to win the title of heavyweight champion of the world. At a time when whites ran everything in America, he took orders from no one and resolved to live as if co...more

Paperback, 544 pages

Published August 4th 2010 by Vintage (first published 2004)

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Nov 07, 2008

Rose rated it

Recommends it for: Rick

Jack Johnson was one of the early twentieth century’s most controversial figures. He was the first black man to attain the world heavyweight championship title, an honor that had been the exclusive domain of white boxers since the sport began. His flashy personality, considerable wealth, and refusal to let his race limit his career and marital prospects belied the traditional concept of the servile, grovelling black. When Johnson beat up white men in the ring and consorted with white women in pu...moreJack Johnson was one of the early twentieth century’s most controversial figures. He was the first black man to attain the world heavyweight championship title, an honor that had been the exclusive domain of white boxers since the sport began. His flashy personality, considerable wealth, and refusal to let his race limit his career and marital prospects belied the traditional concept of the servile, grovelling black. When Johnson beat up white men in the ring and consorted with white women in public, Caucasian America reacted violently. Blacks like Booker T. Washington worried that the hostile attention he attracted would reflect badly on them. “Just who do you think you are?” he was often asked- by both races. “Jack Johnson,” he invariably replied.

The first half of ‘Unforgivable Blackness’ traces Johnson’s rise from Galveston street fighter to heavyweight champion of the world. It was hard going for years: white title holders refused to fight him, worried at the battering their legends would take if they lost to a black man. In what must be the epitome of persistence, Johnson chased the Canadian heavyweight champion Tommy Burns across the world, showing up in European cafes and Australian hotel lobbies to issue challenges. He finally defeated Burns in Sydney, Australia, in 1908, but hostile whites refused to acknowledge him as the new champion until 1910, when he beat the legendary Jim Jeffries, who had retired undefeated six years previously and only agreed to fight so he could show that “a white man is better than a negro.”

In the second half of this fast-paced volume, white America crucifies Johnson for his boxing success and affinity for white women (all three of his wives were Caucasian). Congress banned prizefight films from being taken across state lines, sparing thousands of whites the demoralizing sight of Stanley Ketchel and Jim Jeffries being defeated by a Negro. Policemen wrote Johnson tickets for driving a car that they felt no black should be able to afford. He was accused of violating the Mann Act, which made it illegal to take a woman from state to state for immoral purposes. Found guilty of ‘transporting’ Chicago prostitute Belle Schreiber, Johnson fled to Europe with his wife Lucille and wandered the globe for years. He lost the heavyweight championship to Jess Willard in Havana in 1915 and hoped that he might finally go home now that the title had been reclaimed by a white fighter. But when he did, Johnson was arrested and spent 10 months in Leavenworth prison for the Mann Act conviction. Upon his release, he was considered too old to box professionally again and therefore reduced to minor film roles and speaking engagements. He was killed in a car crash outside Raleigh, North Carolina, in 1946, after speeding furiously away from a restaurant that refused to serve him.

Geoffrey Ward has written Johnson’s story in an highly readable style, combining sports history with popular biography. You don’t have to be a boxing aficionado to enjoy ‘Unforgivable Blackness’. The entire book has an high-velocity undercurrent that keeps the reader turning the pages. Perhaps that’s because Jack Johnson himself was an energetic, fascinating individual who only let himself be beaten in the ring.
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Jul 27, 2008

Jill rated it

A great book about a great man- the first black heavyweight champion of the world- a fascinating, erudite modern man. It makes no difference if you are interested in boxing-Goeffrey Ward gives a highly detailed account of society, sports, politics and good 'ol American pre-civil rights prejudice. Minus the lynchings, reminds us how little has changed today in backwoods white vs. black America (except then the hate was publicly spewed in shocking daily headlines). Because of the champion title ...more

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Aug 23, 2007

Jacob rated it

Jack Johnson is one of the great Self-created characters of American History. The things he did and said are the stuff of legend, and would be remarkable regardless of his race. The fact that he did these things as a black man in a time when lynchings were routine, and segregation was the norm, is incredible. The Comparison to Muhammad Ali is often made, and perhaps rightfully so, however it should not be overlooked that Johnson built HIS eccentric legend without an entourage, without television...more

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Jan 10, 2010

Eric marked it as to-read · review of another edition

I grew up knowing that Johnson had been a dapper man because anything sharp or tight or natty was defined as such by its likeness to "Jack Johnson's hatband." My dad is a storehouse of old southern sayings; I feel ashamed of my teenage eye-rollings.

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Jul 25, 2007

Joslyn rated it

Recommends it for: anybody

Shelves: recentlyread

This is a biography of Jack Johnson (the boxer) and it is a really good read. It is a tragic story, but is very reflective of the spirit it took for African-Americans to succeed in anything at that time. Although he eventually was his own downfall, you can see the chain of events that led to his demise. One thing I admired about him was that he reveled in his heritage and loved what and who he was. He never apologized for being black, which was the custom in those days, and he never tried to dow...more

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Nov 10, 2007

stacy marked it as to-read

Boxer Jack Johnson's 1914 memoir MES COMBATS (My Fights) appears at Harvard University's Widener Library....

Sure wish American audiences at large could read about his largely unknown 1911 musings to a French sports magazine, including candid observations on racism likely never intended for American readers. The comments have been translated to English in their entirety for the first time. The result, "My Life & Battles." 127-pages. But you'll have to hope train, plain or au...more

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Mar 05, 2010

Owen Hurd rated it

This is a fascinating account of Jack Johnson, the first African-American heavyweight boxing champion. As a Chicagoan who's read a little bit about our city's history, I was especially drawn to the passages describing Johnson's domestic life (such as it was), the home where he put up his mother, and the club he opened in the city's red-light district, the Levee.

I was interested to learn that Johnson was arrested for violating the white slave act (Mann Act), for transporting a white ...more

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May 29, 2009

Christopher Carbone rated it

Recommends it for: sports fans

The first black heavyweight champion of the world was, for a time, the most hated man in America, drawing the color line into sharp contrast. The story of Jack Johnson is a complicated, stark one filed with contradictions and easy to hate and hard to love men and women. Overall, its the story of Jack Johnson and the way he lived his life.

The book explains in very good detail Johnson's life, how he got into boxing and how his personality exploded onto the world stage. Johnson was a...moreThe first black heavyweight champion of the world was, for a time, the most hated man in America, drawing the color line into sharp contrast. The story of Jack Johnson is a complicated, stark one filed with contradictions and easy to hate and hard to love men and women. Overall, its the story of Jack Johnson and the way he lived his life.

The book explains in very good detail Johnson's life, how he got into boxing and how his personality exploded onto the world stage. Johnson was a crafty, sleek boxer whop used his strange style, quick hands and long reach to easily defeat his opponents- white and black (but he lost to both white and black fighters as well). Johnson's out-of-the-ring exploits also told much about Johnson- he told great stories that were usually wildly untrue; he partied very hard and knew how to antagonize the extraordinarily vile white media.

The common theme throughout the books is the bald, blatant and toxic racism of America at the turn of the twentieth century. Johnson is depicted as crudely as a monkey, a black devil, and most notably a sub-species that was beating up on the "gentlemen" of the sport.

Johnson captured the title by defeating Tommy Burns in Australia (Burns was fighting all away around the world, trying to avoid Johnson). After that a long list of "Great White Hopes" (that is where the term derives) lined up to reclaim the superiority of the white race- Stanley Ketchel, Bob Fitzimmons, and Gentlemen Jim Jacobs, all were touted as the men to take back the title, and all were mercilessly destroyed. All the while, the white media vilified Johnson and made him out to be a true villain. The book explains how Johnson truly played along, antagonized the media and made his image up to help his amazing career. Johnson married only white women and was involved in an almost career-ending sex scandal.

Ultimately, Johnson trained less and less and took fighters lighter and lighter, culminating in his defeat at the hands of Jess Willard in Havana Cuba. The book notes purposefully that despite many rumors, Johnson diod NOT take a dive, and Willard defeated the fading champion fair and square.

The book then catalogs Johnson's pathetic demise- fighting for too long afterwords, is money problems, how he drank, and how he sold his "story" for a buck, making it more and more outlandish at each telling. The story is clear- Johnson's mouth was as unreliable as his hands were reliable. While his punches were true, his stories were anything but.

The book's truest glory is in the unvarnished struggle Johnson had against the unimaginable tide of racism, hatred and the color barrier. It would be 30+ YEARS before another black man would fight for the title, the color line having been drawn. The media's stories and coverage of Johnson is almost a parody of itself; its as if Saturday Night Live printed their headlines, except its not funny. That is the truest value of this book- it reminds us of how ridiculous we were and how scathing that hatred was, and maybe still is.

I recommend this book to non-boxing fans as well; the story is far more about race and society at the turn of the century than it was about boxing. And that's what makes the story so very compelling. (less)

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Feb 05, 2009

Bookmarks Magazine added it · review of another edition

Jack Johnson's colorful personality and his impact on American racial politics make him a fascinating topic for a biography. Critics were interested in this account of his extraordinary life, but many had complaints. Foremost among these was Ward's failure to provide historical analysis and context. Unforgivable Blackness doesn't ask any probing questions about Johnson's influence or his legacy; even though Ward did his research, those seeking an in-depth examination of his life will be disappoi

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Nov 27, 2010

J.B. Shearman rated it

Shelves: non-fiction

Reading this biography made me wonder what magnitude of celebrity Jack Johnson would have been if he were a heavyweight in today's day an era. His brash and confident personality was vilified because of his skin color but today his individualism would be celebrated. His ability to look at society and life beyond the black and white of that era was met with tons of opposition.

I'm glad I picked this book up randomly on a trip in to borders after reading the back cover because I now kno...more

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Dec 06, 2008

q rated it

Shelves: nonfiction, biography, political

Born and raised in the American southeast, I tend to think of racism in U.S.-centric terms or, more often, in southern ones. If nothing else, this book served to remind me how thoroughly the British planted it everywhere they went. Flipping to the photographs in the book and moving them slowly in front of my eyes, it was easy to imagine that it was Ken Burns tugging at my emotions rather than his partner Geoffrey Ward. The effect is the same. I was worn down by it and I was amazed by how res...moreBorn and raised in the American southeast, I tend to think of racism in U.S.-centric terms or, more often, in southern ones. If nothing else, this book served to remind me how thoroughly the British planted it everywhere they went. Flipping to the photographs in the book and moving them slowly in front of my eyes, it was easy to imagine that it was Ken Burns tugging at my emotions rather than his partner Geoffrey Ward. The effect is the same. I was worn down by it and I was amazed by how resilient Jack Johnson was in the face of it. The book has the feel of a series of anecdotes, many fascinating, all set against the background of the accepted white supremacy that both blacks and whites perceived Johnson to be threatening. Johnson himself is presented as cognizant of but not very concerned about the ills of society, expecting to be seen as an extraordinary individual making his way in the world.

Johnson authored or co-authored quite a bit of autobiographical material, and Ward relies on it as well as on newspaper clippings, but no convincing portrait arises from the sources. Johnson himself was a relentless self-promoter (he had to be) and most of the newspaper pieces have such an underlying sociopolitical agenda that none of it feels quite like reality to me. I do have a clear picture of Johnson, but I don't trust that it's an accurate one.

Johnson comes across as thoughtful, driven, joyful, and witty for the most part. His excesses aren't troublesome until he beats his wife so badly she must be hospitalized. If he habitually abused women in that way, Ward finds no evidence of it. Subsequent women in his life seem to have lived happily with him for years, despite his infidelity.

As a thorough look at Jack Johnson, I doubt this book can be topped; unsatisfying as I found it, I don't think more could be done without being able to interview the people who knew him well.

As a look at racism in the era of his championship, it's thin. It's hammered home in quote after quote, but this serves more to give shock than enlightenment. More value could be had by spending a few days reading Booker T. Washington (a critic of Johnson's lack of humility) and W.E.B. Du Bois (who was responsible for the title of this book). It may be unfair to mention these, since Ward's book isn't meant to be their sort of analysis. But Unforgivable Blackness does touch often on their views of how Negros should behave, without much depth. And now we're back to my U.S.-centrism. In any case, Johnson himself didn't care; as much as he was able, he just behaved the way he wanted.

They aren't the most important parts by a long stretch, but perhaps the most vivid sections of the book are the accounts of his fights. Ward pulls together eyewitness' stories to give blow-by-blow accounts, and he writes them very well. Johnson was noted for his ability to sway backward to avoid blows, something not seen again until Clay. And in the pre-mouthguard era (with plenty of broken jaws and swallowed teeth), Johnson's ring banter is hilarious. If you care about boxing but don't want to read the whole thing, flipping to his fights against Burns, Jeffries, and Willard would still be worthwhile.(less)

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Oct 17, 2008

Patrick rated it

Recommends it for: history/sports fans

Recommended to Patrick by: read a review

Simply eye opening look at racism in America through the eyes of sports.
Johnson's unforgivable sins were a: pummeling white fighters in the ring, and b: cavorting with white women outside the ring. But he was the rarest of men who simply lived his life (albeit not simply) without regard for how others saw him.
At the time I read it, Terrell Owens was in the news for doing something stupid, and the contrast between the perception and tolerance for two similar men in the span of 100 yea...more

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Feb 09, 2009

Blake rated it

This story is very interesting and I am wondering why it took a Ken Burns film to get a book written about it. Jack Johnson is a very dynamic person, though not the best moral compass. Great story, could almost seem like fiction.

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Dec 14, 2008

Mfalco65 rated it

I went through a phase where I was wholly obsessed with PBS documentaries. I picked up the book the moment I heard the documentary was forthcoming. It is a great snapshot at a man who refused to be backed into a corner.

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Oct 27, 2010

Jay rated it

Great book! Jack Johnson dared to live his life the way he wanted at a time when people of color were still regarded as less than. He paid a price but Jack Johnson still walked with his head held high!

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May 15, 2009

Doodle added it

Jack Johnson had it rough, but I think the disrespect aimed at him for not being the legit champ would've been directed at anyone.

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Mar 03, 2011

Maxo Marc added it · review of another edition

A man determined to be himself despite the cost; a must read.

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Feb 03, 2009

Nathan rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: franklin-library, history

The story of Jack Johnson has all the right elements: the racial tensions of the Schmeling-Louis fights, a hero brash and colorful as Muhammad Ali. Ward's detached and colorless narrative are made that much more disappointing, though he tries gamely and manages to end his story on a poetic, if somewhat predictable, note.

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Feb 18, 2008

Erin rated it

An amazing story. Jack Johnson was certainly an intriguing guy. He had a lot against him, but at the same time, didn't care what people thought to the point that he aliented himself from practially everyone. Very tragic. Definitely a long, but good read!

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Nov 18, 2008

Sac rated it

Ken Burns in book form: a series of quotes/talking heads that seem superficially interesting but end up failing to give any real insight into people or eras. Nonetheless the intrinsic charisma of the subject will carry you a fair way.

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Apr 30, 2008

Bob rated it

· review of another edition

Compulsively readable. Geoffrey Ward tells Jack Johnson's amazing story beautifully. The book could hardly be any better.

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Apr 25, 2008

Jonathan rated it

Great book! Johnson is a unique American character, particularly in the context of Jim Crow.

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About Geoffrey C. Ward

Geoffrey Champion Ward is an author and screenwriter of various documentary presentations of American history. He graduated from Oberlin College in 1962.

He was an editor of American Heritage magazine early in his career. He wrote the television mini-series The Civil War with its director Ken Burns and has collaborated with Burns on every documentary he has made since, including Jazz an...more

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