This story could get very heartwarming. Jack Johnson (not the singer) was the first ever black heavyweight champion. Johnson was as dominant in the ring as he was flamboyant off it. He won the belt in 1908 by defeating Tommy Burns, and was even more dominant in defending it two years later against 'The Great White Hope,' Jim Jeffries. Johnson's knockout of Jeffries touched off race riots across the country that ended in the death of 37 people.
If he were alive today, people might say he had 'pimp focus.' The only problem with his 'pimp focus' is that he had it in the 1900's, and not 80-100 years later, and was a black man.
Johnson liked his coffee black, and his women white, and that was a no-no, especially with a law on the books called the Mann Act, prohibiting black men to transport white women across state lines for the purpose of having sex with them. There is a belief (I don't know if it's true) that the woman involved with Johnson at the time was his wife (which makes the conviction even worse). Of course, this was a time that blacks weren't even allowed to walk down the same side of the street as whites.
More after the jump...
Johnson's story sat untouched and untold for several years, but still was a highly politicized issue, as racism always is. Except, this is one where the GOP is in one corner, and the Dems in the other.
The UPI is reporting that Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), who many do not know is a HUGE boxing fan, and Rep. Peter King (R-New York) introduced a measure in front of Congress today to pardon Johnson for violating the Mann Act, as well as the 'White Slave Traffic Act.' From the article:
The measure introduced by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., would urge President Barack Obama to grant a pardon to Johnson, who was convicted in the early 20th Century of violating the Mann Act.
The conviction stemmed from Johnson, who was African-American, having a relationship with a white woman. Prosecutors considered the situation to be in violation of the federal law prohibiting transportation of women across state lines for sexual purposes.
CNN said Wednesday that Linda Haywood - Johnson was her great uncle - worked with McCain on the resolution that she sees as righting a wrongful conviction that was steeped in the racial politics of the era.
There are a lot of people in this country still mad at McCain for everything that happened during the presidential campaign. As a Democrat, and someone who followed some politics for quite some time, I understood McCain during the campaign was not the same man who espoused several liberal beliefs while serving as a senator for Arizona.
If it comes true, this pardon is long overdue. Finally, something Republicans and Democrats can agree on...
Jack Johnson was Barry Bonds b4 Barry Bonds. He was superior at what he did and let everybody know about it. The media hated him for it, among obvious things.
I hope it happens because that was some trump up charges
I am still tripping off the fact he had gold teeth in the 1800s
I guess McCain is now trying to get the black vote
xxtts
2GGXgR
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