The Galveston Giant

by Eric Martin

Credit where due, and John McCain gets it for this:

A resolution for President Obama to pardon former world heavyweight boxing champion Jack Johnson was introduced Wednesday by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), a posthumous bid to address the black fighter who was "wronged with a racially motivated conviction," in 1913 for dating a white woman, a McCain statement said.

Johnson was convicted under the Mann Act that prohibited taking women across state lines for "immoral purposes."

A written statement from McCain's office Wednesday noted "the intent of the Mann Act was to prevent human trafficking of women for the purpose of prostitution. However, racially motivated convictions imprisoned Jack Johnson for a year in 1913. The convictions ruined his career and destroyed his reputation."

Johnson enraged many whites by defeating "Great White Hope" James J. Jeffries by 15th-round TKO in a 1910 title fight in Reno. He was subjected to vitriolic racial comments by those at the venue [ed note: much worse than that actually]. [...]

McCain, who boxed at the U.S. Naval Academy and attends major fights in Las Vegas, said in a prepared statement, "This resolution . . . would not right this injustice, but it would recognize it, and shed light on the achievements of an athlete who was forced into the shadows of bigotry and prejudice. Taking such actions would allow future generations to grasp fully what Jack Johnson accomplished against great odds and appreciate his contributions to society unencumbered by the taint of his criminal conviction."

Ken Burns produced a quality documentary on the life of Jack Johnson that is worth viewing if you come across it.  Here are some excerpts from the film's page at PBS:

"Johnson in many ways is an embodiment of the African-American struggle to be truly free in this country — economically, socially and politically," said Burns. "He absolutely refused to play by the rules set by the white establishment, or even those of the black community. In that sense, he fought for freedom not just as a black man, but as an individual."

Johnson, who was born in 1878 in Galveston, Texas, began boxing as a young teenager in the Jim Crow-era South. Boxing was a relatively new sport in America, and was banned in many states. African-Americans were permitted to compete for most titles, but not for the title that whites considered their exclusive domain: Heavyweight Champion of the World. African-Americans were considered unworthy to compete for the title — not for lack of talent, but simply by virtue of not being white.

Despite this, Johnson was persistent in challenging James J. Jeffries — the heavyweight champion at the time, who was considered by many to be the greatest heavyweight in history — for a shot at the title. For 14 years, Johnson had made a name for himself as well as a considerable amount of money with his ability to beat black and white opponents with shocking ease. Jeffries, however, refused to fight a black boxer and instead decided to retire undefeated.

Then in 1908, after defeating most other white opponents, the new champion Tommy Burns agreed to fight Johnson in Australia for the unheard of sum of $30,000. In the 14th round, after beating Burns relentlessly, the fight was stopped and Johnson became the first African-American Heavyweight Champion of the World.

In Unforgivable Blackness, Johnson biographer Randy Roberts observes, "The press reacted [to Johnson's victory] as if Armageddon was here. That this may be the moment when it all starts to fall apart for white society."

His victory spurred a search among whites for a "great white hope" who could beat Johnson and win back the title. They finally found him in Johnson's old nemesis, Jim Jeffries, who decided to return from retirement and give Johnson the fight he had always wanted. This fight was especially important to Johnson, because many whites had dismissed his claim to the title as invalid; Burns, it was argued, was never the true champion because he didn't win the title by beating Jeffries. No one had beaten Jeffries, and most thought he was certain to reclaim the title for whites.

The Johnson-Jeffries fight, dubbed the "Battle of the Century," took place on July 4, 1910, in Reno, Nevada. Johnson knocked out Jeffries in the 15th round. Johnson's victory sparked a wave of nationwide race riots across in which numerous African-Americans died. Newspaper editorials warned Johnson and the black community not to be too proud. Congress eventually passed an act banning the interstate transport of fight films for fear that the images of Johnson beating his white opponents would provoke further unrest.

Perhaps even more troubling for white America than Johnson's dominance over his white opponents in the boxing ring were his romantic entanglements with white women.

A pardon is the very least that Johnson's family, and legacy, deserves.  Well done Senator McCain.

Comments

[Bernard Yomtov]

An old childrens' ditty on the matter;

"What's the matter with Johnson?
He's all right.
What's the matter with Jeffries?
He can't fight.

It was on the Fourth of July
That Johnson knocked out Jeffries' eye.
What's the matter with Johnson?
He's all right."

No, I wasn't around in 1910, but I read it somewhere a long time ago and it stuck.

[liberal japonicus]

Given the energy devoted to imagined slights in the Obama meeting with Queen Elizabeth, just goes to show you that the past is alive and well. (links go to Edge of the American West and Balloon Juice rather than the original sources, so click on them, you won't be giving PJMedia any clicks)

[kvenlander]

Since it's McCain and King of all people, I have a hard time believing in their sincerity.

Let me put on my paranoid hat... First, why now? Making sure that the words "Obama" and "dating white women" appear together? "Obama pardons black heavyweight fighter convicted of federal crimes involving prostitution and human trafficing" (never mention that it was for something a hundred years ago).

This sounds like something McCain's subtle strategerists, who brought us Sarah Palin, would come up with.

[cleek]

This sounds like something McCain's subtle strategerists, who brought us Sarah Palin, would come up with.

it's fine with me.

as long as McCain keeps to posthumous pardons and stays out of foreign policy, the country will be better off.

[jdog]

I agree well done. But this is the level at which McCain operates. Do not trust him with anything more complicated.

[Eric Martin]

Let me put on my paranoid hat... First, why now? Making sure that the words "Obama" and "dating white women" appear together?

McCain introduced this bill during Bush's tenure. It passed the House but was never taken up in the Senate.

I think it's more benign: McCain and King are boxing fans (ex-boxers themselves) and see this as a way to win some political points while doing a good thing.

That's a win all around in my opinion. I'm 100% comfortable with politicians doing the right thing to advance their political careers.

More like that please.

[Joe]

another ex-boxer has an important position in the Senate too

[joel hanes]

If you like Miles Davis at all, this might be the time to listen to his extended meditation "Jack Johnson", a better and more heartfelt encomium than any the US Senate has the power to bestow.

I'm Jack Johnson, heavyweight champion of the world. I'm black. They never let me forget it

I'm black all right -- I'll never let them forget it.

[Bernard Yomtov]

I think Muhammad Ali was in some sense Johnson's heir. He has, of course, been "rehabilitated," as if he needed it, but was much reviled early in his career. Most of the "Great White Hopes" he faced were black, oddly, but the dynamics were similar.

[kvenlander]

OK, I think you've soothed my paranoid cynic side a bit. A little bit. I don't do the sports fan thing myself, especially not for boxing, so this angle didn't even occur to me.

This is obviously good news for McCain!

[spockamok]

You know, the white America of 1910, that could have its self-esteem dented by a person of a different color winning an athletic contest, seems like a freaking alien-planet.

America has its stubborn racial problems, but to some extent, remembrance of the the blatant, rabid,white America of the Jim Crow era is sort of a distraction from the real, but far subtler racial problems that people face today.

[Mike Schilling]

What can Congress to to rehabilitate Johnson that James Earl Jones didn't do more effectively long ago?

[jrudkis]

When do we get to rehabilitate Mike Tyson?

I loved watching his fights when he was in his prime.

[hairshirthedonist]

I loved watching his fights when he was in his prime.

And they only took a minute and a half of your time.

[SqueakyRat]

I loved watching his fights when he was in his prime.

Was that when he was still fighting men instead of 100 lb. women?