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Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson
He was the first black heavyweight champion in history, the most celebrated-and most reviled-African American of his age. In "Unforgivable Blackness," the prizewinning biographer Geoffrey C. Ward brings to vivid life the real Jack Johnson, a figure far more complex and compelling than the newspaper headlines he inspired could ever convey. Johnson battled his way from obscurity to the top of the heavyweight ranks and in 1908 won the greatest prize in American sports-one that had always been the private preserve of white boxers. At a time when whites ran everything in America, he took orders from no one and resolved to live as if color did not exist. While most blacks struggled just to survive, he reveled in his riches and his fame. And at a time when the mere suspicion that a black man had flirted with a white woman could cost him his life, he insisted on sleeping with whomever he pleased, and married three. Because he did so the federal government set out to destroy him, and he was forced to endure a year of prison and seven years of exile. Ward points out that to most whites (and to some African Americans as well) he was seen as a perpetual threat-profligate, arrogant, amoral, a dark menace, and a danger to the natural order of things.
"
Unforgivable Blackness" is the first full-scale biography of Johnson in more than twenty years. Accompanied by more than fifty photographs and drawing on a wealth of new material-including Johnson's never-before-published prison memoir-it restores Jack Johnson to his rightful place in the pantheon of American individualists.
"
Unforgivable Blackness" is the first full-scale biography of Johnson in more than twenty years. Accompanied by more than fifty photographs and drawing on a wealth of new material-including Johnson's never-before-published prison memoir-it restores Jack Johnson to his rightful place in the pantheon of American individualists.
544 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2004
105 people are currently reading
1815 people want to read
About the author
Geoffrey C. Ward
113 books139 followersGeoffrey 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 and Baseball. This work won him five Emmy Awards. The most recent Burns/Ward collaboration, The War, premiered on PBS in September 2007. In addition he co-wrote The West, of which Ken Burns was an executive producer, with fellow historian Dayton Duncan.
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 and Baseball. This work won him five Emmy Awards. The most recent Burns/Ward collaboration, The War, premiered on PBS in September 2007. In addition he co-wrote The West, of which Ken Burns was an executive producer, with fellow historian Dayton Duncan.
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February 13, 2014
I've often told the story of how, during the years my parents had split and I lived with my mom, she didn't raise me. She loved me, protected me, provided for me, but didn't raise me; Michael Jordan, Harold Washington (Chicago's first black mayor), Arthur Fonzarelli and Hulk Hogan raised me. As a young boy, I was wildly into my heroes, my idols...these men I looked to for "how to be a man" when my father wasn't immediately available.
Jack Johnson was all of these men rolled into one.
The first black Heavyweight Champion of the world, and "The most celebrated-and most reviled-African American of his age", Johnson would've undoubtedly been my idol...up to a point. He determined early on that the rules which applied to everyone else, especially those rules borne out of hatred and bigotry, would not, could not, apply to him. Johnson was not formally educated, but possessed a wit and command of the english language that far surpassed the 5 years of schooling his parents were determined he and his siblings would receive, at a minimum. He was also a physical marvel, quicker and faster than everyone he faced in the ring during his prime, but also strong enough to playfully lift grown men off the mat and deposit them where he saw fit. Later, with his career on the downswing, he would be found putting on strongman shows, tying a horse to each bicep and holding them in place. And no one, no one, was better dressed than he.
Even though his was a story to be most admired-starting out in poverty and eventually reaching the apex of his profession-Johnson faced an unrelenting, white-hot hatred, almost indescribable other than by the most talented of pens. This hatred was borne of two reasons: not only had he, a Negro (blacks of his day appreciated this term, for they were called much worse) smashed their champion, their Great White Hope, to win boxing's heavyweight championship of the world, he also took their women. It may or may not be well known that a good number of states had laws forbidding whites marrying blacks well into the mid 20th century. Johnson married not one, but three white women, and "entertained" multiple others. This so enraged white America that in 1910, they passed federal legislation, The Mann Law, prohibiting taking white girls across state lines for "immoral" purposes, specifically to ensnare and teach Johnson "his proper place."
Despite the treatment he so often received, Johnson often killed 'em with kindness. But at other times, he dished out stinging wit. Such as when he returned to Australia after winning the heavyweight championship and received a fraction of the love he'd received just a year prior:
"Then, in an indirect slap at the white Australians who continued to jeer him, he went out of his way to praise the aboriginal people, whom he knew they also despised. He'd been to the Sydney museum, he said, and seen their boomerangs and stone axes: "Your central Australian natives must've been men of genius to have turned out such artistic and ideal weapons." He envied white Australians for being able to share their continent with the descendants of such extraordinary people."
North of the Mason–Dixon line, Jack Johnson was comfortably brash. While waiting for a squad car to take him to the police station after being pulled over for speeding (a regular occurrence) by a Chicago cop walking the beat (Johnson refused to allow the officer inside his vehicle for a ride to the station), a crowd began to form. Johnson is quoted as having said, "Stand back Mr. White Officer. Let the colored people get a good look at me."
Johnson was also not above playing into the racist, stereotypical depictions of his people, if it suited his immediate purpose. Responding to a question from a reporter about eating chicken and watermelon, Johnson jokes, "Chickens see the gleam in my eye and keep out of my way."
An example of how cultured he was:
"Once, when a group of reporters arrived too late to see him spar, Johnson offered to invite them upstairs (some of whom had surely wronged him in print) to his suite for a "music show." They reported having expected to be treated to a minstrel turn but instead experienced "the strains of operatic music, vocal selections rendered by Caruso, Sembrich, Nordics, Mary Garden and others." After one of them noticed a huge bass violin in the corner and asked who played, Johnson responded "I do" and proceeded to play along with the record on the turntable, "eyes closed, lost in the music."
Turns out, I'd foolishly believed myself to be able to get through this book with minimal emotional impact. The second half of the book is...a tough read. Geoffrey C. Ward masterfully writes the book in two almost equal proportions: Part 1, "The Rise" and Part 2, "The Fall." Prior to reaching "The Fall", I'd remarked to one of my fellow Goodreaders that I couldn't wait to write this review, so fascinated was I with the good, and the bad, of Jack Johnson. Sadly, it turned out to be a chore; I in no way enjoyed reading, however masterfully written, Johnson's fall from grace and subsequent struggles.
For the sports historian, for the one seeking a fascinating if sad study on historical race relations in America, or for the one looking to scratch that biographical itch, this is a great dichotomy of a book.
Jack Johnson was all of these men rolled into one.
The first black Heavyweight Champion of the world, and "The most celebrated-and most reviled-African American of his age", Johnson would've undoubtedly been my idol...up to a point. He determined early on that the rules which applied to everyone else, especially those rules borne out of hatred and bigotry, would not, could not, apply to him. Johnson was not formally educated, but possessed a wit and command of the english language that far surpassed the 5 years of schooling his parents were determined he and his siblings would receive, at a minimum. He was also a physical marvel, quicker and faster than everyone he faced in the ring during his prime, but also strong enough to playfully lift grown men off the mat and deposit them where he saw fit. Later, with his career on the downswing, he would be found putting on strongman shows, tying a horse to each bicep and holding them in place. And no one, no one, was better dressed than he.
Even though his was a story to be most admired-starting out in poverty and eventually reaching the apex of his profession-Johnson faced an unrelenting, white-hot hatred, almost indescribable other than by the most talented of pens. This hatred was borne of two reasons: not only had he, a Negro (blacks of his day appreciated this term, for they were called much worse) smashed their champion, their Great White Hope, to win boxing's heavyweight championship of the world, he also took their women. It may or may not be well known that a good number of states had laws forbidding whites marrying blacks well into the mid 20th century. Johnson married not one, but three white women, and "entertained" multiple others. This so enraged white America that in 1910, they passed federal legislation, The Mann Law, prohibiting taking white girls across state lines for "immoral" purposes, specifically to ensnare and teach Johnson "his proper place."
Despite the treatment he so often received, Johnson often killed 'em with kindness. But at other times, he dished out stinging wit. Such as when he returned to Australia after winning the heavyweight championship and received a fraction of the love he'd received just a year prior:
"Then, in an indirect slap at the white Australians who continued to jeer him, he went out of his way to praise the aboriginal people, whom he knew they also despised. He'd been to the Sydney museum, he said, and seen their boomerangs and stone axes: "Your central Australian natives must've been men of genius to have turned out such artistic and ideal weapons." He envied white Australians for being able to share their continent with the descendants of such extraordinary people."
North of the Mason–Dixon line, Jack Johnson was comfortably brash. While waiting for a squad car to take him to the police station after being pulled over for speeding (a regular occurrence) by a Chicago cop walking the beat (Johnson refused to allow the officer inside his vehicle for a ride to the station), a crowd began to form. Johnson is quoted as having said, "Stand back Mr. White Officer. Let the colored people get a good look at me."
Johnson was also not above playing into the racist, stereotypical depictions of his people, if it suited his immediate purpose. Responding to a question from a reporter about eating chicken and watermelon, Johnson jokes, "Chickens see the gleam in my eye and keep out of my way."
An example of how cultured he was:
"Once, when a group of reporters arrived too late to see him spar, Johnson offered to invite them upstairs (some of whom had surely wronged him in print) to his suite for a "music show." They reported having expected to be treated to a minstrel turn but instead experienced "the strains of operatic music, vocal selections rendered by Caruso, Sembrich, Nordics, Mary Garden and others." After one of them noticed a huge bass violin in the corner and asked who played, Johnson responded "I do" and proceeded to play along with the record on the turntable, "eyes closed, lost in the music."
Turns out, I'd foolishly believed myself to be able to get through this book with minimal emotional impact. The second half of the book is...a tough read. Geoffrey C. Ward masterfully writes the book in two almost equal proportions: Part 1, "The Rise" and Part 2, "The Fall." Prior to reaching "The Fall", I'd remarked to one of my fellow Goodreaders that I couldn't wait to write this review, so fascinated was I with the good, and the bad, of Jack Johnson. Sadly, it turned out to be a chore; I in no way enjoyed reading, however masterfully written, Johnson's fall from grace and subsequent struggles.
For the sports historian, for the one seeking a fascinating if sad study on historical race relations in America, or for the one looking to scratch that biographical itch, this is a great dichotomy of a book.
January 20, 2022
Reading books and listening to podcasts about 19th and 20th century civil rights issues, a recurring feature in samples taken from newspapers of the time (be it pre-Civil War, Reconstruction, or the Jim Crow era) is the fear -- usually expressed in the most racist terms -- of supposed black virility, lust and beastliness. The alleged physical threat they posed to white women or existential threat they posed to white manhood was foremost in the mindset of those who stood in the way of progress and social justice for a downtrodden people. Any rumour of a black man violating a tenet of segregated society or, heaven forbid, the body of a white woman could be enough to trigger lynchings, riots, and forced exoduses.
For white supremacists who turned their gaze towards the sport of boxing, Jack Johnson appeared to embody everything they feared. He was brash and confident. He could stand toe-to-toe with white boxers and beat them. He openly dated white women. He was fearless in a society that expected him to be submissive. As the inaugural black world champion, he was a trailblazer, underappreciated and abused during his time.
Unforgivable Blackness is Geoffrey C. Ward's compelling account of a life and career that reached unprecedented heights and unseemly lows. It makes sense of an in-ring career that spanned 95 official fights and countless exhibitions, tracing the progress of a boxer who thrived in an unimaginable pressure cooker of competitive sports and racial discord. Ward also illuminates the real character and intellect of a man who was constantly portrayed in newspapers of the time as an simple-minded brute who spoke like Uncle Remus (he was, in fact, quite coherent). There's this great story about him narrating the action of one of his fights as it plays on a screen in front of him that reveals his great boxing brain. Not only was Johnson a better fighter than racists wanted him to be, he was also smarter than they cared to acknowledge.
Perhaps the best part of the book is the section revolving around Johnson's pursuit of Jim Jeffries, the undefeated white heavyweight champion who seemed weary of Johnson's abilities and dodged him for years. Similar scenarios play out in the sport up to this day, with one key difference: Jeffries used the so-called "colour line" as justification for avoiding Johnson, which would be unimaginable today in a sport where racial barriers have long since crumbled. Ward follows this saga to the point where even the racist writers of the time were questioning Jeffries' reluctance to face his most worthy challenger. Then comes the sequel, in which an un-retired Jeffries finally faces champ Johnson in the hope of reclaiming "white pride." It goes as well as you might expect.
Unforgivable Blackness is, of course, about the rise and fall of Johnson, and in the latter category it delivers too. Beset by his own personal shortcomings, bad decisions and misfortunes in an era where the American public was very unforgiving of a black man who flouted norms and boundaries, Johnson suffers a sad fall from grace that Ward palpably conveys. Death, divorce and imprisonment took its toll on the trailblazing ex-champion, to say nothing of a personal arrogance that author Ward admirably documents when he could easily have taken a more hagiographic route. Johnson's attempts to first ingratiate himself with Joe Louis, the next great black champion, then disparage the younger man after that doesn't pan out sees the aged fighter making a sorry spectacle of himself. Only when he dies does the media and public grant him some measure of redemption, although Ward notes a eulogy that posits Johnson as essentially a placeholder for Louis. Unforgivable Blackness proves that he was much more than that.
For white supremacists who turned their gaze towards the sport of boxing, Jack Johnson appeared to embody everything they feared. He was brash and confident. He could stand toe-to-toe with white boxers and beat them. He openly dated white women. He was fearless in a society that expected him to be submissive. As the inaugural black world champion, he was a trailblazer, underappreciated and abused during his time.
Unforgivable Blackness is Geoffrey C. Ward's compelling account of a life and career that reached unprecedented heights and unseemly lows. It makes sense of an in-ring career that spanned 95 official fights and countless exhibitions, tracing the progress of a boxer who thrived in an unimaginable pressure cooker of competitive sports and racial discord. Ward also illuminates the real character and intellect of a man who was constantly portrayed in newspapers of the time as an simple-minded brute who spoke like Uncle Remus (he was, in fact, quite coherent). There's this great story about him narrating the action of one of his fights as it plays on a screen in front of him that reveals his great boxing brain. Not only was Johnson a better fighter than racists wanted him to be, he was also smarter than they cared to acknowledge.
Perhaps the best part of the book is the section revolving around Johnson's pursuit of Jim Jeffries, the undefeated white heavyweight champion who seemed weary of Johnson's abilities and dodged him for years. Similar scenarios play out in the sport up to this day, with one key difference: Jeffries used the so-called "colour line" as justification for avoiding Johnson, which would be unimaginable today in a sport where racial barriers have long since crumbled. Ward follows this saga to the point where even the racist writers of the time were questioning Jeffries' reluctance to face his most worthy challenger. Then comes the sequel, in which an un-retired Jeffries finally faces champ Johnson in the hope of reclaiming "white pride." It goes as well as you might expect.
Unforgivable Blackness is, of course, about the rise and fall of Johnson, and in the latter category it delivers too. Beset by his own personal shortcomings, bad decisions and misfortunes in an era where the American public was very unforgiving of a black man who flouted norms and boundaries, Johnson suffers a sad fall from grace that Ward palpably conveys. Death, divorce and imprisonment took its toll on the trailblazing ex-champion, to say nothing of a personal arrogance that author Ward admirably documents when he could easily have taken a more hagiographic route. Johnson's attempts to first ingratiate himself with Joe Louis, the next great black champion, then disparage the younger man after that doesn't pan out sees the aged fighter making a sorry spectacle of himself. Only when he dies does the media and public grant him some measure of redemption, although Ward notes a eulogy that posits Johnson as essentially a placeholder for Louis. Unforgivable Blackness proves that he was much more than that.
August 18, 2017
Jack Johnson´s story is fascinating - he was hero and anti-hero in one lifetime. An example to his people and the world of how to live and of how not to live. He was a man who changed the world - or America at least - and who became one of the most hated public figures in the same nation.
Johnson always compared himself to Napoleon in the way he managed to drag himself up from relatively obscure beginnings to what he considered the top of the world - in this case, the World Heavyweight Boxing Championship. Johnson managed this as a black man in a society which was almost unbelievably racist: this book is a study in turn of the century racism more than anything else. It has to be read to be believed - what passes for hard right, neo-Nazi, white supremacist rhetoric nowadays was once the mainstream, published in newspapers which these days see themselves as bastions of liberalism and free speech. Vile, deeply racist abuse was the orthodoxy back then: the fight against Jim Jeffries for the belt was the white race against the black.
Johnson - in his youth and prime a wonderful fighter - always did what he wanted with his life. He feared no-one. He liked fast cars, women of all races, fighting and spoke and wrote well. But this cavalier, I-don´t-care-what-you-think-of-me attitude, didn´t sit well with whites and, later, blacks - especially when his life took nastier turns such as a spell in jail or when the suicide of his wife became news. Instead of behaving as he "should", Johnson behaved as he wanted.
As a history of what happened, this book is exemplary. It is made up of contemporary accounts from newspapers and eye witnesses and relies heavily on Johnson´s own biographies. As a biography and portrait of the man himself, the book fails. Johnson is there in fragments, comes in and out in lopsided episodes, speaks in a variety of voices and manners. He plays a part in his life but the story is told from the outside, not the inside, and it´s tedious where it should be interesting, for me.
As a study in racism and the reality of turn of the last century American society, the book is exemplary and well-researched - unflinching, too. As a study of Jack Johnson, the human being, the book is flimsy. So too as a boxing book: only occasionally does it light up and do you feel you are "really there".
A disappointment.
Johnson always compared himself to Napoleon in the way he managed to drag himself up from relatively obscure beginnings to what he considered the top of the world - in this case, the World Heavyweight Boxing Championship. Johnson managed this as a black man in a society which was almost unbelievably racist: this book is a study in turn of the century racism more than anything else. It has to be read to be believed - what passes for hard right, neo-Nazi, white supremacist rhetoric nowadays was once the mainstream, published in newspapers which these days see themselves as bastions of liberalism and free speech. Vile, deeply racist abuse was the orthodoxy back then: the fight against Jim Jeffries for the belt was the white race against the black.
Johnson - in his youth and prime a wonderful fighter - always did what he wanted with his life. He feared no-one. He liked fast cars, women of all races, fighting and spoke and wrote well. But this cavalier, I-don´t-care-what-you-think-of-me attitude, didn´t sit well with whites and, later, blacks - especially when his life took nastier turns such as a spell in jail or when the suicide of his wife became news. Instead of behaving as he "should", Johnson behaved as he wanted.
As a history of what happened, this book is exemplary. It is made up of contemporary accounts from newspapers and eye witnesses and relies heavily on Johnson´s own biographies. As a biography and portrait of the man himself, the book fails. Johnson is there in fragments, comes in and out in lopsided episodes, speaks in a variety of voices and manners. He plays a part in his life but the story is told from the outside, not the inside, and it´s tedious where it should be interesting, for me.
As a study in racism and the reality of turn of the last century American society, the book is exemplary and well-researched - unflinching, too. As a study of Jack Johnson, the human being, the book is flimsy. So too as a boxing book: only occasionally does it light up and do you feel you are "really there".
A disappointment.
September 28, 2024
This is an exhaustive account of Jack Johnson’s fight career and life afterward . At times it seemed like the author must have compiled every single public record. Many of the fights are broken down round by round which was more than I needed but others may enjoy.
I actually picked up the book by accident. I was reading about the Swiss provocateur Arthur Cravan and how he ended up fighting Johnson which I thought was so bizarre. For all of the book’s minutiae, that incident only got a passing mention, though really it was only a curiosity.
500 plus pages later and I still didn’t feel like I got to really know Jack Johnson. I wish now that I’d read his own memoir instead.
I learned something about how openly racist society still was during this period though. Maybe I’m naive but I was shocked by the language of the newspapers, not just cracker presses in the deep south either, all of the “newspapers of record” It was straight up hate speech, rife with every slur imaginable. In the acknowledgements there is a reference to another book with a specific focus on that (I think). It is by an author named Al-Tony Gilmore and has a title I’d rather not repeat. It sounds interesting but this was enough for me.
I actually picked up the book by accident. I was reading about the Swiss provocateur Arthur Cravan and how he ended up fighting Johnson which I thought was so bizarre. For all of the book’s minutiae, that incident only got a passing mention, though really it was only a curiosity.
500 plus pages later and I still didn’t feel like I got to really know Jack Johnson. I wish now that I’d read his own memoir instead.
I learned something about how openly racist society still was during this period though. Maybe I’m naive but I was shocked by the language of the newspapers, not just cracker presses in the deep south either, all of the “newspapers of record” It was straight up hate speech, rife with every slur imaginable. In the acknowledgements there is a reference to another book with a specific focus on that (I think). It is by an author named Al-Tony Gilmore and has a title I’d rather not repeat. It sounds interesting but this was enough for me.
March 8, 2016
This book is not only about the first Black Heavyweight Boxing Champion Jack Johnson but about racism in the early 20th Century. Jack Johnson was a large, fast quick and powerful puncher whose skill at avoiding punches is still to this day legendary. He won the Colored heavyweight Championship. That was an important championship but still only ranked second to the World Heavy Weight Championship that was held in 1910 by the great Jim Jeffries.
Jack Johnson had defeated all the great Black fighters of the era defending the Colored heavyweight Championship. He won the tile by 12 round KO over Frank Childs then defeated Sam Langford, Sam McVea and Joe Jeanette among others in defense of his title. So he naturally thought he deserved a shot at the coveted World Heavyweight Title.
The Champion Jim Jeffries had followed the traditions of the first ever World Heavyweight Champion John L. Sullivan who refused to allow Blacks to fight for what was the biggest prize in sports. Jack Johnson was there to buck that tradition. J Johnson followed J. Jeffries all over the country trying unsuccessfully to embarrass Jim Jeffries to box him. Then all of a sudden Jim Jeffries retired.
Jeffries appointed the two men to box with the winner awarded the next Heavy Weight Championship. The two men were Jack Root and Marvin Hart. Marvin Hart won the match defeating Jack Root then afterwards lost the title in his first defense to Tommy Burns. Tommy Burns, after winning the title traveled to Europe where he defended successfully his championship 13 times. Johnson followed him to Europe and tracked him down in Australia. Burns, to his credit, agreed to fight Johnson in a 20 round bout.
Johnson battered Burns over 14 rounds when the police came and halted the contest. The referee awarded Johnson the decision and the World Heavyweight Championship with it.
Johnson’s life got very interesting after he won the title. He came back to America where he was given a parade in Chicago, where he had been living, however the more he won defending the championship the greater the cry to find a great white hope to beat him.
After Johnson had three easy defenses for of his title, the public demanded former Heavyweight Champion Jim Jeffries come out of retirement and win the championship back.
Jeffries had retied to California to farm alfalfa. He had ballooned to over 300 hundred pounds but finally relented and decided to come back to boxing and fight Johnson. By fight time of the fight, Jeffries looked in great shape and had most of white America hoping and predicting his victory. However, he was weak from the weight loss and was easily defeated by technical knockout in the 15th round of a scheduled 45 round fight, in what was called the “Fight of The Century.”
After that huge victory a demoralized white population lost hope in finding a man capable of defeating Johnson for now. Jack Johnson did little to endure himself to the white population of America as well. He date many white girls and at that time that was very unpopular in both white and black society. One of these ladies got him in big trouble later in his career.
In 1912 he was arrested for violating the Mann Act which outlawed transporting women across state lines for immoral purposes. The charge stemmed from one of Johnson’s white girl friend’s Belle Schreiber. Belle, was a former prostitute, after he had dumped her she called him for help one night claiming she was destitute. Johnson had amassed a fortune from his fight winning so he moved her from Pittsburgh to Chicago and bought her an apartment. At this apartment she set up a brothel. Afterwards Belle, who still harbored a grudge against Johnson, testified against him and he was convicted of violating the Mann Act.
Johnson skipped bail and fled the country to Canada. He later moved to France.
Meanwhile a 29 year old giant of a man and a white farmer was being groomed as the next “Great White Hope.” Jess Willard was a 6 foot 6 inch giant. He lost is first few bouts but got better each time he had fought. He was known to be able to take a great amount of punishment in the ring. He had ran off a string of victories and was offered a match with the Champion Jack Johnson in Havana Cuba for the championship.
In 1915 under blazing sun in Havana Jack Johnson was winning the fight however he could not knock out the giant Willard and tired out in the 26th round. Johnson then took a powerful shot from Willard that knocked him out.
Willard received a hero’s welcome in America when he came back. Johnson, on the other hand, came back and turned himself over to authorities and served a 9 month sentence for violating the Mann Act in Leavenworth Kansas.
When Johnson got out of jail, he continued to box but never got another chance at the championship. He witnessed his conqueror Jess Willard be brutalized by the next great heavyweight Champion Jack Dempsey.
Jack Johnson finally saw the next future great Black Champion Joe Louis on his way up and tried to manage him. However, Jack Blackburn, Louis’s current manager, despised Jack Johnson. In retaliation, Johnson took it upon himself criticized Joe Louis as he was climbing to the top. This not only alienated him to Joe Louis but also alienated him to much of his fellow black community who were huge Louis fans.
Johnson died at the age of 68 when he crashed racing his car.
Jack Jonson was a scientific boxer in that he excelled on defense. He would tilt his head back to avoid punches like Muhammad Ali would do later and very few other boxer could get away with.
He was also a very smart man. He loved to read. Muhammad Ali said of him “he alienated America by dating white women, I am his copy but I alienate people with religion.”
Jack Johnson had defeated all the great Black fighters of the era defending the Colored heavyweight Championship. He won the tile by 12 round KO over Frank Childs then defeated Sam Langford, Sam McVea and Joe Jeanette among others in defense of his title. So he naturally thought he deserved a shot at the coveted World Heavyweight Title.
The Champion Jim Jeffries had followed the traditions of the first ever World Heavyweight Champion John L. Sullivan who refused to allow Blacks to fight for what was the biggest prize in sports. Jack Johnson was there to buck that tradition. J Johnson followed J. Jeffries all over the country trying unsuccessfully to embarrass Jim Jeffries to box him. Then all of a sudden Jim Jeffries retired.
Jeffries appointed the two men to box with the winner awarded the next Heavy Weight Championship. The two men were Jack Root and Marvin Hart. Marvin Hart won the match defeating Jack Root then afterwards lost the title in his first defense to Tommy Burns. Tommy Burns, after winning the title traveled to Europe where he defended successfully his championship 13 times. Johnson followed him to Europe and tracked him down in Australia. Burns, to his credit, agreed to fight Johnson in a 20 round bout.
Johnson battered Burns over 14 rounds when the police came and halted the contest. The referee awarded Johnson the decision and the World Heavyweight Championship with it.
Johnson’s life got very interesting after he won the title. He came back to America where he was given a parade in Chicago, where he had been living, however the more he won defending the championship the greater the cry to find a great white hope to beat him.
After Johnson had three easy defenses for of his title, the public demanded former Heavyweight Champion Jim Jeffries come out of retirement and win the championship back.
Jeffries had retied to California to farm alfalfa. He had ballooned to over 300 hundred pounds but finally relented and decided to come back to boxing and fight Johnson. By fight time of the fight, Jeffries looked in great shape and had most of white America hoping and predicting his victory. However, he was weak from the weight loss and was easily defeated by technical knockout in the 15th round of a scheduled 45 round fight, in what was called the “Fight of The Century.”
After that huge victory a demoralized white population lost hope in finding a man capable of defeating Johnson for now. Jack Johnson did little to endure himself to the white population of America as well. He date many white girls and at that time that was very unpopular in both white and black society. One of these ladies got him in big trouble later in his career.
In 1912 he was arrested for violating the Mann Act which outlawed transporting women across state lines for immoral purposes. The charge stemmed from one of Johnson’s white girl friend’s Belle Schreiber. Belle, was a former prostitute, after he had dumped her she called him for help one night claiming she was destitute. Johnson had amassed a fortune from his fight winning so he moved her from Pittsburgh to Chicago and bought her an apartment. At this apartment she set up a brothel. Afterwards Belle, who still harbored a grudge against Johnson, testified against him and he was convicted of violating the Mann Act.
Johnson skipped bail and fled the country to Canada. He later moved to France.
Meanwhile a 29 year old giant of a man and a white farmer was being groomed as the next “Great White Hope.” Jess Willard was a 6 foot 6 inch giant. He lost is first few bouts but got better each time he had fought. He was known to be able to take a great amount of punishment in the ring. He had ran off a string of victories and was offered a match with the Champion Jack Johnson in Havana Cuba for the championship.
In 1915 under blazing sun in Havana Jack Johnson was winning the fight however he could not knock out the giant Willard and tired out in the 26th round. Johnson then took a powerful shot from Willard that knocked him out.
Willard received a hero’s welcome in America when he came back. Johnson, on the other hand, came back and turned himself over to authorities and served a 9 month sentence for violating the Mann Act in Leavenworth Kansas.
When Johnson got out of jail, he continued to box but never got another chance at the championship. He witnessed his conqueror Jess Willard be brutalized by the next great heavyweight Champion Jack Dempsey.
Jack Johnson finally saw the next future great Black Champion Joe Louis on his way up and tried to manage him. However, Jack Blackburn, Louis’s current manager, despised Jack Johnson. In retaliation, Johnson took it upon himself criticized Joe Louis as he was climbing to the top. This not only alienated him to Joe Louis but also alienated him to much of his fellow black community who were huge Louis fans.
Johnson died at the age of 68 when he crashed racing his car.
Jack Jonson was a scientific boxer in that he excelled on defense. He would tilt his head back to avoid punches like Muhammad Ali would do later and very few other boxer could get away with.
He was also a very smart man. He loved to read. Muhammad Ali said of him “he alienated America by dating white women, I am his copy but I alienate people with religion.”
November 8, 2008
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 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.
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.
March 10, 2017
Writing and fighting might seem unlikely bedfellows, but boxing often produces great literature - and this book is a prime example of that. It's partly down to the subject-matter and partly down to the author.
Jack Johnson had a life that could have been a work of fiction. On second thoughts, if it had been written as fiction, it would probably seem so far-fetched as to render it unbelievable. In a world where everything was stacked against black people, and they weren't given the chance to fight for the heavyweight title, Jack Johnson somehow became the first black heavyweight champion of the world. Along the way, he rose from obscurity and poverty to fame and riches; then declined into a state of poverty again. It's probably a miracle he wasn't assassinated.
The story of Jack Johnson is also in part the story of America's troubled racial history.
Geoffrey C. Ward tells it with aplomb.
Even if you don't read non-fiction books, you should read this one.
Jack Johnson had a life that could have been a work of fiction. On second thoughts, if it had been written as fiction, it would probably seem so far-fetched as to render it unbelievable. In a world where everything was stacked against black people, and they weren't given the chance to fight for the heavyweight title, Jack Johnson somehow became the first black heavyweight champion of the world. Along the way, he rose from obscurity and poverty to fame and riches; then declined into a state of poverty again. It's probably a miracle he wasn't assassinated.
The story of Jack Johnson is also in part the story of America's troubled racial history.
Geoffrey C. Ward tells it with aplomb.
Even if you don't read non-fiction books, you should read this one.
July 27, 2008
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 of the sport and a life constantly in the limelight, Johnson's arena was worldwide, leaving a long international paper trail of research for Ward. Ali borrowed a lot from Jack Johnson and carried the burden of his symbolist mantle for the MLK generation. He is a great exapmle of a man born for his time.
Want to read
January 11, 2010I 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.
October 30, 2014
As I read over the other reviews, I find that they are mostly about not wanting to be offensive because the book is about the first black heavyweight champion of boxing. The problem is these reviews are aimed at the subject rather than the book.
The subject is very interesting...the book is a bore.
The book is not only bad...it reads like a tale that several people are telling as they sit on a porch and reflect on a subject which occurred many years ago.
Also practically every page is footnoted which forces the reader to do one of two things...ignore the footnotes to keep pace with the "flow" of the book or stop and find out where the source of the statement or observation stems from.
This book is supposed to add to the Ken Burns PBS documentary of Jack Johnson career except that it doesn't bring anything to the story besides long-winded tales. The problem is that this book serves no real purpose other than to get the reader to weigh whether or not they should commit to reading about something that is better told as a documentary.
My advice...watch the documentary and forget the book.
The subject is very interesting...the book is a bore.
The book is not only bad...it reads like a tale that several people are telling as they sit on a porch and reflect on a subject which occurred many years ago.
Also practically every page is footnoted which forces the reader to do one of two things...ignore the footnotes to keep pace with the "flow" of the book or stop and find out where the source of the statement or observation stems from.
This book is supposed to add to the Ken Burns PBS documentary of Jack Johnson career except that it doesn't bring anything to the story besides long-winded tales. The problem is that this book serves no real purpose other than to get the reader to weigh whether or not they should commit to reading about something that is better told as a documentary.
My advice...watch the documentary and forget the book.
Want to read
November 10, 2007Boxer 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 automobile to get to them.
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 automobile to get to them.
June 1, 2021
If you are a white person you just need to read 3 books to understand the plight of Black people in the US, this being one of them. The others are Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, and Devil in the Grove. Then you will know some basic things about the origins of BLM and a whole lot more.
July 22, 2022
In the introduction to his biography of Jack Johnson, Geoffrey C. Ward indicates that his primary source was newspaper articles. And indeed, this biography reads much like a very long newspaper account of the life of Jack Johnson. This isn't good or bad, but an apt description of what it is like reading this biography. In fact, Ward has done a commendable job in weaving what he had to work with into a very readable, informative, and enjoyable work.
Jack Johnson was the boxing world heavyweight champion from 1908-1915. And he was the first black heavyweight champion, which dominates the story of his life inside the ring and out. Johnson became heavyweight champion at a time when boxing was just barely out of the bare knuckle era, and while more organized as a sport, was still a rough and tumble and often illegal activity. Boxing, even as it is today, was often surround by unsavory characters. During that era throwing fights for money or to set up matches wasn't uncommon. Johnson learned his craft literally starting from the bottom up in local tough man or boxing contests and his skills eventually lead him to the top of his sport.
What make Johnson's story so interesting are two things - race and his profligate lifestyle. Race played a key role in his life even though he himself ignored race and didn't let it interfere with how he behaved or what he did. He often sported white women on his arm and eventually married a white woman, and did not defer to anyone, black or white. This made him an even more incendiary figure for the race conscious press and America at the time. Many white heavyweights wouldn't fight Johnson - most notably Jim Jefferies who held the title at a time when Johnson was the obvious deserving opponent for a shot at the champion. Eventually Jefferies retired and "conferred" his title on Tommy Burns, a bulked up white middleweight. Johnson chased after Burns and through the pressure of the press he eventually landed his title shot and dominated his lesser opponent, winning the heavyweight championship of the world.
This eventually lead to one of the most pivotal heavyweight boxing matches in history - and certainly the most pivotal fight of Johnson's career - a match with former heavyweight champion Jim Jefferies. Jefferies was obviously reluctant to come out of retirement to fight the new champion but pressure from friends and many in the press and boxing world, who didn't want to see a black man hold the championship, more or less forced his hand. The fight eventually took place on July 4, 1910 in Reno, New Mexico. Thousands were in attendance but millions throughout the country waited for the result. Johnson dominated Jefferies through much of the fight, eventually knocking him out in the 15th round. Johnson's win legitimized his title as heavyweight champion. Unfortunately, it also touched off violence against blacks throughout the country.
Jefferies utter defeat also lead to a search for a "great white hope" to defeat Johnson. Eventually, Johnson was beaten by a huge but less skilled Jess Willard in Havana, Cuba on April 5, 1915. Johnson probably lost as much because of age, he was around 37 at the time, and the rather unfortunate events in is life from the time of the Jefferies victory to his match against Willard in Cuba. During that time he appears to have spent most of his money, married a white woman who eventually committed suicide, and married another white woman against the violent protests of her family. This led, in a rather convoluted way, to his fleeing the country with his new wife in tow after being brought up on charges of violating the Mann Act. During all this time, and the only reason to mention the ethnicity of his wives, was the vilification Johnson received in the press across America and the hatred he engendered among some, including those in law enforcement, who wanted to bring him down. Thus, Johnson had to go through convoluted negotiations and travel arrangements to even defend his title again Willard in Cuba. Eventually, Johnson decided to come back to America but had to face a jail sentence, which he served. After getting out of jail, broke because he spent most of his money, he mostly earned a living through boxing exhibitions and similar activities.
Johnson's lifestyle some would call raucous. He made a lot of money for his era and he spent it freely on clothes, cars, and the women he kept as companions some of which were prostitutes or former prostitutes. One can look up to Johnson for not letting racism stand in the way of living his life the way he wanted to live it and kowtowing to no one. One could also look askance as his philandering, spendthrift way of life, but who are we to really judge? Undoubtedly Johnson brought some of his problems on himself. Also undoubtedly he was treated unfairly because of the era in which he lived in. Had Johnson lived today he might get some negative press, but more likely he would have a legion of fans who willing to overlook some of the things he did in his private life.
Cars were relatively new invention in early 1900's and Johnson loved cars and bought several of them. He often liked to drive fast. This too eventually caught up with him as, while speeding, he swerved to miss a truck and rammed his car into a tree. He died in 1946 after an adventurous 68 years.
Note this book is the companion to Ken Burn's documentary of the life of Jack Johnson using the same title.
Jack Johnson was the boxing world heavyweight champion from 1908-1915. And he was the first black heavyweight champion, which dominates the story of his life inside the ring and out. Johnson became heavyweight champion at a time when boxing was just barely out of the bare knuckle era, and while more organized as a sport, was still a rough and tumble and often illegal activity. Boxing, even as it is today, was often surround by unsavory characters. During that era throwing fights for money or to set up matches wasn't uncommon. Johnson learned his craft literally starting from the bottom up in local tough man or boxing contests and his skills eventually lead him to the top of his sport.
What make Johnson's story so interesting are two things - race and his profligate lifestyle. Race played a key role in his life even though he himself ignored race and didn't let it interfere with how he behaved or what he did. He often sported white women on his arm and eventually married a white woman, and did not defer to anyone, black or white. This made him an even more incendiary figure for the race conscious press and America at the time. Many white heavyweights wouldn't fight Johnson - most notably Jim Jefferies who held the title at a time when Johnson was the obvious deserving opponent for a shot at the champion. Eventually Jefferies retired and "conferred" his title on Tommy Burns, a bulked up white middleweight. Johnson chased after Burns and through the pressure of the press he eventually landed his title shot and dominated his lesser opponent, winning the heavyweight championship of the world.
This eventually lead to one of the most pivotal heavyweight boxing matches in history - and certainly the most pivotal fight of Johnson's career - a match with former heavyweight champion Jim Jefferies. Jefferies was obviously reluctant to come out of retirement to fight the new champion but pressure from friends and many in the press and boxing world, who didn't want to see a black man hold the championship, more or less forced his hand. The fight eventually took place on July 4, 1910 in Reno, New Mexico. Thousands were in attendance but millions throughout the country waited for the result. Johnson dominated Jefferies through much of the fight, eventually knocking him out in the 15th round. Johnson's win legitimized his title as heavyweight champion. Unfortunately, it also touched off violence against blacks throughout the country.
Jefferies utter defeat also lead to a search for a "great white hope" to defeat Johnson. Eventually, Johnson was beaten by a huge but less skilled Jess Willard in Havana, Cuba on April 5, 1915. Johnson probably lost as much because of age, he was around 37 at the time, and the rather unfortunate events in is life from the time of the Jefferies victory to his match against Willard in Cuba. During that time he appears to have spent most of his money, married a white woman who eventually committed suicide, and married another white woman against the violent protests of her family. This led, in a rather convoluted way, to his fleeing the country with his new wife in tow after being brought up on charges of violating the Mann Act. During all this time, and the only reason to mention the ethnicity of his wives, was the vilification Johnson received in the press across America and the hatred he engendered among some, including those in law enforcement, who wanted to bring him down. Thus, Johnson had to go through convoluted negotiations and travel arrangements to even defend his title again Willard in Cuba. Eventually, Johnson decided to come back to America but had to face a jail sentence, which he served. After getting out of jail, broke because he spent most of his money, he mostly earned a living through boxing exhibitions and similar activities.
Johnson's lifestyle some would call raucous. He made a lot of money for his era and he spent it freely on clothes, cars, and the women he kept as companions some of which were prostitutes or former prostitutes. One can look up to Johnson for not letting racism stand in the way of living his life the way he wanted to live it and kowtowing to no one. One could also look askance as his philandering, spendthrift way of life, but who are we to really judge? Undoubtedly Johnson brought some of his problems on himself. Also undoubtedly he was treated unfairly because of the era in which he lived in. Had Johnson lived today he might get some negative press, but more likely he would have a legion of fans who willing to overlook some of the things he did in his private life.
Cars were relatively new invention in early 1900's and Johnson loved cars and bought several of them. He often liked to drive fast. This too eventually caught up with him as, while speeding, he swerved to miss a truck and rammed his car into a tree. He died in 1946 after an adventurous 68 years.
Note this book is the companion to Ken Burn's documentary of the life of Jack Johnson using the same title.
August 24, 2007
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, and without even the faintest glimmer of civil rights. This work captures not only the actions of the man, but their historical and social context, and in so doing provides insights that other similar tomes do not.
July 25, 2007
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 downplay his talent so as not to offend. Good writing, good story.
Read
November 7, 2019Excellent biography of hellraiser Jack Johnson the first African-American heavyweight champion of the world. Born in Galveston, Texas he was by all accounts remarkably free of inhibitions due to race from an early age. It just never occurred to him that he couldn't live and do as he pleased. He established his ability as a fighter early on and spent years pursuing white champions who refused to give him a match. When he finally fought Tommy Burns in Sydney, Australia and beat him he was 32. This began the era of the great white hope. White America scoured the countryside trying to find someone who could beat Johnson. Jim Jeffries came out of retirement because he was seen as the best hope to bring the title back to a white man. Johnson beat him handily which set off race riots around the country. Congress forbade the showing of the film made of the Johnson-Jeffries fight since the harm done by seeing a black man beat a white man was considered incalculable. A reform era of politics resulted in the passing of the Mann Act which made transporting a woman across state lines for immoral purposes illegal. Johnson was dubiously arrested for breaking this law and convicted. He fled the country to avoid imprisonment and lived for years in England, France, Spain and Mexico. Eventually upon returning he served a year in Leavenworth prison. A big spender he was always cadging for money and his later years were a sorry spectacle of bad theatre and circus acts. His name and reputation-especially that of consorting with white women- plagued African-American boxers up to the era of Muhammed Ali as no one wanted to be tagged as the next Jack Johnson.
September 6, 2024
just finished reading this book and I feel like I've just finished a long journey. previously I'd only heard of Jack Johnson, when I was five mohammed Ali became heavyweight champ and was all the rage, but before Ali there was Jack Johnson and actually he was a much bigger threat to the establishment than Ali, at a time when the establishment could easily destroy you. but it was as though god himself gave Johnson a mission, like he did with Noah or Moses, to oppose the establishment, he needed someone strong, pysically and mentally that could take it and dish it out. Johnson would not cow tow to whites and work his way into being accepted like booker t Washington wanted to do at the time, and Johnson wouldn't adapt to his code of conduct or the white establishment but had a tremendous sense of self worth, that could not be dented. he did ask to fight a white man for the heavyweight title he demanded it, he taunted, he stalked them, and when he won he put things on his terms really a theme of his life, living on his own terms at a time when black people were supposed to be satisfied with whatever crumbs they were thrown.
this can be read as a boxing box but also as a book of his history and a book of social change. I decided to skip the foot notes so as not to interrupt the flow. the made a documentary of this book which was excellent but it intereseted enough to read the book. its a long read but well worth it.
this can be read as a boxing box but also as a book of his history and a book of social change. I decided to skip the foot notes so as not to interrupt the flow. the made a documentary of this book which was excellent but it intereseted enough to read the book. its a long read but well worth it.
July 19, 2023
It is a mystifying story of a remarkable man. Jack Johnson's audacity and courage are almost unimaginable. He faced racism so pervasive that it is hard to fathom and painful to read. Even supposed bastions of liberal thought like the New York Times participated in sickening stereotypes helping to justify policies and actions throughout the USA we now associate with Jim Crow. This included almost universal condemnation of miscegenation. That Johnson married white women was a cardinal sin that white America could not abide and sought to punish by bending government authority to his punishment. Johnson would not bend and could not be broken.
His athletic prowess is undisputed - reputed to be technically gifted, his physical conditioning would still be impressive in today's world of sports science.
The book is a very functional read and does thorough work cataloging Johnson's life and exploits. The prose is work-a-day and the narrative is a bit prosaic even though the protagonist's immense charisma forms its foundation.
That said, the story shines a light on a truly unique and impressive man, and further reveals America's troubled history of race.
His athletic prowess is undisputed - reputed to be technically gifted, his physical conditioning would still be impressive in today's world of sports science.
The book is a very functional read and does thorough work cataloging Johnson's life and exploits. The prose is work-a-day and the narrative is a bit prosaic even though the protagonist's immense charisma forms its foundation.
That said, the story shines a light on a truly unique and impressive man, and further reveals America's troubled history of race.
December 1, 2018
Jack Johnson was a fascinating man inside and outside of the ring and this book was very well researched and shed light on a man that inspired many athletes in later generations. He was outspoken, he was confident bordering on arrogant and he wanted what was his - to fight for the heavyweight championship of the world at a time when white fighters and audiences were against such a thing. Such an athlete is commonplace today, not so much at the start of the 20th century in a deeply racist society where black people were actually murdered in race riots after his fights. Joe Louis' coach actually advised Louis to be the total opposite of Johnson in personality and celebrations inside the ring order to keep white audiences on his side.
This book as as much as about Johnson the man as America's troubling racism. I wasn't a fan of having so many footnotes though because it kept interrupting the flow of what you were reading.
This book as as much as about Johnson the man as America's troubling racism. I wasn't a fan of having so many footnotes though because it kept interrupting the flow of what you were reading.
November 21, 2020
As a follower of boxing I knew about Jack Johnson, the legend. This book is about boxing and The World Champion competition from about 1900 on, but also about Jack Johnson, the man. And what an amazing man; I would say he was a Renaissance man, but he was way beyond that. The book is scholarly and entertaining. About halfway through I found out the book had been filmed by Ken Burns. There it was: "Unforgivable Blackness"....what an apt title....on pbs.com. And, knowing how thorough and long a Ken Burns story can be, I was thrilled to find it was in only 2 parts. I put down the book and watched both parts. It's narrated by many famous and knowledgable people and Samuel L. Jackson is the voice of Johnson himself from excerpts he reads from the champ's hand-written memoir. Read or watch..this is a stunning story of an exuberantly happy man who would/could be no one but himself, regardless of the many consequences.
September 3, 2020
Unforgivable Blackness by Geoffrey C. Ward is about the first Black heavyweight boxing champion Jack Johnson. He was flamboyant, highly skilled, and constantly exuded confidence in the face of adversity and racism. Jack Johnson was persecuted, de facto and de jure, for dating white women, beating white men in the boxing ring, and refusing to be modest in our white supremacist based society. This book describes Johnson’s important fights with Burns, Jeffries, and Willard with great clarity and prose. The author will go into great detail in regards to Johnson’s personal relationships, personal accounts, as well as newspaper clippings that bring the time period to life with a wealth of information. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested history, boxing, and race relations of the 1900’s.
July 12, 2019
A sad story in so many ways, but a story that needs to be told. Johnson had to fight hard for what he achieved but squandered any respect by his outlandish lifestyle and counter cultural exploits. In some ways he is a sympathetic figure who had to fight racial hatred and injustice, but was shown to be irresponsible and evasive concerning his responsibilities. A book which teaches much about the prejudice of many whites and the hardships of blacks at the beginning in the early twentieth century. You also find out the shady and tough nature of boxing in the early years. Through this book one understands more about the wounds and scars which continue to plague our country. It is interesting that President Trump recently pardoned the former champ, Jack Johnson.
August 12, 2023
Since no Jack Johnson collection exists (nobody saved an archive of letters or ephemera) this book is an expansion, building upon newspapers and Johnson's very nice autobiography ("In the Ring and Out"). As a casual fan I got more excitement from reading the autobiography. Unforgiveable Blackness is a well annotated riff on that.
This book gives context. We meet the other boxers more. If you like a "story", read Johnson's autobiography. If you dig details and context, this book is good too.
This book gives context. We meet the other boxers more. If you like a "story", read Johnson's autobiography. If you dig details and context, this book is good too.
December 6, 2017
a great read and a great man who overcame a lot to become champion of the world in a time when white people treatment of black people was just terrible abusing them and thinking they are not as good as white people and beneath Johnson did not help dating white women which was frowned apon and could of got him killed now days mix race relationships are common but he answered to no man and did it his way including his downfall
December 28, 2019
Fantastic portrayal of the first black heavyweight champion
This book is more than a just an account of the ring career of t he first black heavyweight champion. It speaks regarding the times he lived
In and the struggles he faced as a coloured person in a white man's world. A great read and captures the times very well. A must read for any boxing fam.
This book is more than a just an account of the ring career of t he first black heavyweight champion. It speaks regarding the times he lived
In and the struggles he faced as a coloured person in a white man's world. A great read and captures the times very well. A must read for any boxing fam.
February 26, 2020
This book is superb. It appears to be an extremely comprehensive outline of the life of one of the most fascinating characters in sporting history. Neither judgemental nor uncritical, this is an absolute must read for anyone with a passing interesting in boxing, sport, or American history. It is fantastic!
December 19, 2020
A fantastic biography that pulls no punches. Johnson was a complicated man living in a complicated time, and the author is neither completely reverential nor critical of the champion in any aspect of his life. Nor does Ward shy away from the racism Johnson experienced both in and out of the ring. Just a fantastic book.
July 19, 2022
An excellent biography of a boxing legend. It's sad that he had to ensure so much racism and prejudice. There are some things in this book that made me think, not least the bit about his wife. Very sad to read about Jack Johnson's fall from grace. All in all, a great read. I'd recommend this to anyone who has an interest in boxing history.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2023
First half is more engaging than the second half, but that's kind of the Jack Johnson story. An incredible rise, and a fall that was probably always going to come, but it came much faster due to the unforgivable crime of taking a white lady across state lines. That is seriously how they sent him to prison.
January 12, 2020
I loved it. I learned a lot about the man and the sporting (not what you’re thinking) lifestyle. My mother used to tell me of the second hand stories she heard of when Johnson went to Cuba. A phenomenal life.
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