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Guest Editorial
Alvin Williams
Guest Editorial Archives
Friday, March 11, 2005; Page 19
A Chance to Rewrite History
President Bush has a chance to rewrite a dark chapter in the life of one African American hero – boxing champion Jack Johnson. While not always touted among others instrumental in the quest for equality for African Americans, Johnson’s achievements in the ring and to a smaller extent his hubris outside of the ring, merit acclaim for contributing greatly to the demolition of the stereotypes which formed the foundation for discrimination. The only challenge which proved too formidable for Johnson was a racially tinged judicial system intent on finding a way to limit his freedom via the misapplication of a legal statute.
Jack Johnson was a freedom fighter. His uncanny boxing ability refuted the falsely held notion at the time that African Americans were mentally and physically inferior and thereby not subject to the same rights and privileges as other Americans. Johnson was equally adept as dealing with jabs from the media, and the public who showered him with racial slurs and other abuse at every opportunity.
Johnson was not deterred by any of the above circumstances in his quest to hold the ultimate sporting title of that time, the heavyweight boxing championship of the world. For decades prior to his winning the title Jack Johnson, who was widely recognized as the most skilled fighter at that the time, was denied a chance to fight for the title because he was African American. Such was the case because the heavyweight title held mythical implications as a symbol of physical and mental prowess and there was a resounding fear that if Johnson won, it would upset the balance of race relations in America a wider call for equality.
However, Johnson believed that as an American he should be free to seek the highest heights of his profession. Johnson’s determination to overcome racism and stereotypes, made him a symbol among African Americans who shared his desire for equality,
With vigor and courage Jack Johnson entered the ring on July 4, 1910 and defeated Jim Jeffries to become the first African American to hold boxing’s heavyweight title. It is fitting that this triumph occurred on Independence Day because when word traveled that Johnson was victorious, a great ripple of euphoria and joy permeated the hearts of African Americans nationwide. Johnson in one fell swoop had not only knocked out his white opponent, but symbolically had dealt a blow to the stereotypes that had been an obstacle to true equality for all Americans.
On the basis of this historic achievement, Johnson’s legacy should have been cemented among the great freedom fighters in American history. However, a miscarriage of justice sentenced Johnson to prison while alive, and to a certain shroud of posthumous infamy. As Johnson secured equality in the ring, he also sought a freedom outside of the ring, which was evidenced in his interracial marriages that angered those already smoldering as a result of Johnson’s boxing success. In 1913, Johnson was convicted on violating the Mann Act, a law which banned the interstate transport of white women for purposes of prostitution and debauchery. However, Johnson was guilty of neither offense banned by Mann Act as the women in question were involved in consensual relationships with Johnson, which the Mann Act did not sanction. Nevertheless, he was convicted and sentenced to serve a year in a federal prison.
This conviction cast a shadow on Johnson’s legacy as a forerunner in the struggle for equality who sought the freedoms afforded to other Americans in a time when African Americans were denied such rights. The conviction has also overshadowed Johnson’s legacy as an athlete above measure, an entrepreneur, and an unlikely symbol of the struggle for freedom in America.
This is why a wide-ranging coalition of politicians, activists, celebrities, boxers, and others are calling for President Bush to offer a Presidential Pardon expunging the charges from Johnson’s record. In doing so he would follow the lead of the Texas State Senate which in 2001 passed a resolution declaring that Johnson’s prosecution was the result of a “contrived charge” and was the product of political and racial tensions at the time.
A pardon from President Bush would allow Johnson’s legacy to remain intact as someone who sought the American dream and worked diligently to achieve it. It is not often that one has the opportunity to rewrite history, let’s hope that President Bush takes this opportunity to do so, thereby paying a fitting tribute to a true freedom fighter.
Alvin Williams is a co-founder and the current President and CEO of Black America’s Political Action Committee (BAMPAC). |
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